


Reign of Shadows: Season 2

by Xandyflare



Series: Reign of Shadows [5]
Category: AdventureQuest Worlds, Destiny (Video Games), Fire Emblem Series, Reign of Shadows (Fanfiction), Rockman X | Mega Man X, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alliance-Umbra War, Chrono angel (Reign of Shadows), Luxonia (Reign of Shadows), Multi, Otherworlder War, The Alliance (Reign of Shadows), Umbrati (Reign of Shadows)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-01-01 12:59:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 63,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18334898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xandyflare/pseuds/Xandyflare
Summary: As the Alliance develops and relationships grow stronger, darkness brews. When everything is collected in one spot, eventually, the excess will spill out.Join us on the Reign of Shadows Discord! https://discord.gg/5mXXcXz





	1. Tales of the Walkway

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter characters:
> 
> -Talli/Carla  
> -Andal Brask  
> -Parisia  
> -Keya  
> -Rowan (not mentioned by name)
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> A look into Carla's past.

Talli sat alone at the table in the apartment. The wooden layout was obviously meant to hold about up to five people. However, not only were there just three chairs, two were not even filled. The young child was completely by herself.

Crayons and papers were scattered among the table. The paper in the child's hand now was being pressed on by a blue crayon that was almost non-existent at this point. Much like the brown crayon set neatly aside, which had only about half an inch left. The paper on the crayons was peeled away and put into a neat little pile. The only thing lighting her coloring was a small light hanging above her.

Finally, she set aside the blue crayon in favor of a green one. "My..." She muttered to herself as she wrote. "Family..." She put it down, smiling brightly. "There!" She stared at the picture of a small, scribbly her holding the hand of Cayde-6 and reaching her hand out to a blank space. "I would put Mommy, but she's gone, and Daddy won't tell me where she is."

She hopped off the chair, small canvas shoes hitting the ground with a soft click. She left the paper on the table. Her glowing eyes looked up to stare at the clock. The hands pointed to different numbers, but she knew well enough to translate it to numbers. It had just turned five past ten o'clock at night.

"Daddy should be home by now. It's past bedtime." She huffed, placing her hands on her hips. "Without Mommy, Daddy is so irresponsible!"

Talli moved up onto the small couch against the wall in the room. Making sure to take her shoes off to show fluffy white socks, the five-year-old hopped up onto the springy cushion. With a small motion, she pulled aside the closed blinds to peek outside.

Outside, a storm was brewing. Clouds darker than Talli has ever seen hung low in the sky, enough to completely cover the Traveler. Not a single person moved in the streets, most likely to avoid the incoming downpour. She heard from her father that it was going to be a cloudy night, but she never imagined it would be this bad.

Just outside the city, she saw a Guardian ship drop down and crash into the earth. No doubt the storm probably struck them with lightning, judging by the black smoke coming from it. She had no worries for their life. Their Ghost would be able to revive them, no problem.

It was becoming to dark to see, so Talli let the blinds drop back over the window. Instead, she moved to sit on the couch, letting her feet kick. She promised not to move until she saw the front door open to let her father in, twirling his trademark gun and calling over his little diamond. She would smell the gunpowder on him and know that he's done a good job in protecting her and the future. After that, he'll gently scold her on not going to bed, but would have no actual signs of being mad. He would probably be happy to tuck her in and give her a loving kiss goodnight.

The small child's head popped up when the lightbulbs flickered. All at one, they burned out, plunging her into complete darkness. Now, there was only a faint blue glow from her eyes. Everything else was almost an eerie black.

That's when the whispers began. The air around her rippled, and she was suddenly very aware that she was no longer alone. Voices seemed to move all around her, and she shivered from an abrupt cold. Black fog flooded the ground, and soon, she couldn't see the old floor at all.

_"Chrono angel."_

_"Future bringer."_

_"Seer."_

_"Sibyl."_

"Wh...What?" Talli trembled, shaking in both fear and the sudden temperature drop.

_"This world, this reality...It is soon to perish."_

_"Do not perish with it."_

_"Accept the fog of the Umbrati."_

_"Let your soul embrace the dark."_

The child was already beginning to cry. "Daddy...Mommy..." She whimpered. "Where are you...?"

_"They have perished."_

_"One by the hands of a false sister's whispers, the other by our dark."_

_"Lucy-1 died a long time ago."_

_"Cayde-6 has died now."_

"Just leave me alone...Leave my home alone!"

Slowly, clawed hands as cold as ice gripped her head gently from behind. _"It is to keep the balance, child."_

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

With a clap of what felt like thunder, a bright blast of blue shot out from Talli. The shadows around her seemed to make a circle, avoiding her. Her eyes were now brighter than they have ever been, casting their glow around her. Transparent wings shimmered on her back, much too big for her body. She wailed, holding her head and begging to get away from the darkness.

Time itself crawled down to a stop around her. Not even the darkness shifted, blinded by blue dust everywhere. The only sound of even movement came from herself, and nowhere else.

She wasn't aware of the environment changing in an instant. However, she noticed it when she opened her eyes, as if expecting the darkness to be gone if she wished it so. It was gone, but so was anything similar.

All around her was a void of blue, twinkling stars amidst the nebula. The galaxy expanded on far beyond her reach, purple and faintly green designs in the blue space. The area she was on now seemed to be a cluster of stars that created a path. Both behind her and forward, the path seemed to wind on forever, twisting and turning, but never doubling back. What truly got to the child was that it was devoid of life otherwise. She was the only one present on the starry path.

"Hello?" Talli's voice echoed. No response came. "Daddy? Mommy? Anybody...?" She started running along, noticing how cold the ground was through her socks. She should have been wearing her shoes. "Anybody there? Hello?"

She was only a small child, with only five years of her life spent so far. It took her no time at all to begin to cry, starting to sob into her hands. It is not right for a child to be all alone in an unfamiliar environment. She fell to the ground, dress beginning to be stained with tears as they poured down her face.

"Please...anyone?" She shouted up as the glow returned to her body, veins lighting up with a soft glimmer. "I just wanna go home! Please!"

"For a Guardian, you are weak," a sudden, guttural voice declared.

Talli looked over. From the void, ripples have spread out, letting what looked like a hole tear into the nothingness. The hole in turn seemed to show a moving picture. She could recognize a Fallen attacker, and the environment of the moon. However, while she recognized the clothing of the Guardian as her father's, she knew very well the Guardian wearing it was not her father.

If it wasn't obvious from the fact that he was a human and her father was an Exo, the voice differentiated them enough. "Aye..." They coughed up blood, struggling slightly from the Fallen foot placed on their chest to pin them down. "Ant you uset your cunning to face me, not just your own little direct fighting inbolbement."

"Quite adorable for you to boast when you’re on your last legs." The Fallen raised their scorch cannon to point it at the Guardian's head. "Any last words?"

"Yea...go burn in whateber you call a jhell."

The Fallen laughed. "Biggest mistake you ever said."

Talli suddenly reached a hand out, now erupting in blue. "NO!"

Talli had a hazy memory when it came to what happened next. A sudden warmth raced through her body, and everything exploded in that cyan color. She could remember a Fallen screeching in...what? Pain? Fear? It had to be one of those two.

She could shape what happened next. She was still in the nebula and on its starry path. However, there was a crack glowing cyan where the ripple had been, no picture in sight. Just in front of her was the Guardian lying limp, but no Ghost in view to revive him.

She already had a feeling he was dead, but still, she crawled over to him. "E...Excuse me?" She whimpered, reaching out her hands that crackled with untamed power. "Mr. Hun-?"

Once she grabbed his arm, her glow faded slightly. In turn, his arm glowed brightly, joining her light given off. Immediately, her hands released him, but the damage was done, and it still continued to glow.

As if he had never died, every wound seemed to cycle back and fade out of existence. Blood evaporated from his clothing, leaving him completely spotless of any damage. Cracking open his eyes, he grunted and clutched at his arm, cradling it close.

"Ay dios mio..." He muttered, groaning in pain. "Feels like it's on fire..." He lifted his head, hood having fallen off to reveal a ponytail with a few loose strands draping down his face. "What eben jhappenet?"

"I...I..." Talli froze up when the man whipped his head to look at her. "Eep!"

"Whoa!" He immediately stood up. "Chica, you're glowing a lot dere!"

"Huh?" Talli looked at herself, seeming to finally notice her veins lighting up like a Christmas tree.

"Wait." The man looked at his arm, which was still glowing a bit, then looked back. "Dit you...do dat?" He pointed at it.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know that would happen! I don't know what's wrong with me!" Talli started bawling. "I tried to save you from that Fallen! I really, really did!"

"Hey! Hey!" He tried to calm her down. "It's okay, chica! It's okay! Stop crying!"

"M-My name's Talli...not Chica..." She sniffed and wiped her tears.

"Dat just means 'girl' in another language." The man knelt down in front of Talli. "Look, I can tell you're scaret. But I'm not going to jhurt you. I just want to know what jhappenet."

"I...Well...There was all this darkness and whispers...all over my home...I somehow got away...Then I saw you and your Ghost getting hurt by the Fallen, and...and I think I stopped it, but...you ended up here. I-I grabbed your arm, then..." She pointed at the man's arm. "Then that happened."

"Den dank you for sabing me, Talli." The man pet her head gently. "You didn't do anything wrong. You merely dit what you dought was right." When she didn't respond, he placed a hand on his own chest. "My name is Andal. Andal Brask."

"N-Nice to meet you...Andal..." Talli stopped. "Wait. You're the Hunter Vanguard!"

He chuckled. "Dat I am. Do you know me?"

It was as if her sadness evaporated instantly. "Yea, yea! I heard about you from Daddy! You and he were great friends! You know Cayde-6, right?"

"Cayde's...a dad?"

"Granted, you've been dead a really long time, as far as I know."

Andal frowned. "Dat can't be right. I'm still alive, as you can tell."

"It can be right. You both are from different timelines."

Both immediately spun around, the Hunter grabbing Talli and yanking her under his cloak as a form of protection. He raised his sniper rifle to point it down the starry path.

A woman with most of her hair in a bun stood there, hands clasped before her dress of various blue hues. What alerted Talli was that her eyes glowed in the exact same manner as hers.

"Who are you?" Andal questioned, "Ant what's dis place? What's going on?"

"I'm sorry to startle you," she apologized, walking forward to close the distance. "My name is Parisia. And we're in the Walkways, the bridges between every timeline existing."

"Timelines? Walkways? Come on, start making sense here!"

"Yea!" Talli chimed in. "How do we get back home?"

Parisia sighed. "Neither of you have a home to go back to."

Both paused, and Talli gripped Andal's hand firmly in her tiny fingers. "What...?"

"Carla, your home was consumed by darkness in a natural process of the universe." The woman glanced up at Andal. "As for you, Andal, you were pulled out of your timeline randomly. It would be impossible to try and locate yours exactly. There are too many timelines out there."

"...What are you saying?" Andal asked in a trembling voice.

"Unless you trust me, you'll be lost in the Walkways forever."

Both of them stared at Parisia, looking between her and each other. Talli was now clutching tightly onto Andal's leg, who in return kept a hand on her head. Both of them seemed very unsure of even thinking about trusting the mysterious woman.

"Prove it," Andal declared. "Prove we'll die without you."

In turn, Parisia responded, "How can I prove what you don't understand?"

"Den explain what exactly is going on!" Andal cried out suddenly. "Tell us both where we are, and why we're glowing!"

"..." The woman turned away, beginning to explain. "The universe is made up of timelines. Infinite realities, made from infinite choices and events. Every day, new ones are made and old ones are destroyed. It is how life in the universe progresses and thrives. The Walkways connect the timelines, exist beyond them and act as bridges into each reality.

"The Walkways also are a home. Inside this place, we thrive. We are chrono angels, labelled the watchers and protectors of the timelines and the balance of the universe." Parisia looked at Talli. "You, child, are a chrono angel."

"Then...Why was I in a...timeline?" Talli asked.

"Because by the time you were born, your capabilities extended far beyond any normal angel. We could tell by your birth that you would be the most powerful chrono angel existing. Andal's arm proves it."

On instinct, Andal grabbed his arm that has lost its glow by now. "What about it?"

"No chrono angel has been known to have the ability to gift someone not of our species our powers," Parisia explained. "And yet, even when not knowing the extent of her capabilities, Carla imbued your arm with the same magic energy we are made of. So, logically, everyone was scared of her falling to the enemy. Therefore, we placed her in a timeline to keep her safe until she was older." She sighed. "We did not anticipate that the darkness would consume her home."

The sniper scowled. "The kid said jher name was Talli, senorita."

"That is the name her adoptive parents gave her. Her birth name, and the name I gave her, is Carla."

Talli looked surprised at those words. "The name you gave me...?"

Parisia smiled warmly. "Yes. I am your mother."

Slowly, the child pulled herself away from Andal. Despite the Hunter reaching out to stop her, the small five-year-old took a few steps towards to look up at the woman with an orange hue for her hair. Parisia smiled warmly at her, and crouched down so that the blue phosphorous lights for eyes looked directly at each other.

At once, a tiny leg shot up and slammed right into Parisia's shin. And Talli hit hard, judging by Parisia's sudden, pained expression.

"How dare you!" Talli screamed as the woman held it in pain. "You left me to die, defenseless in Fallen territory!"

"You WHAT?!" Andal screeched at Parisia in turn.

"Granted..." She grunted, getting back up as her injured leg trembled. "I had no idea I placed her in such a dangerous area. I wasn't well-versed with the timeline I placed you in."

This only caused her to be grabbed by the front of her dress by a very mad Andal. "You didn't eben KNOW what you were sending jher into?! What kind of mother are you, puta?!"

"Granted again, I know now that my actions were rash! I was here to pick her up and take her home!" Parisia tried to plead her case.

Talli looked surprised at that. "H...Home?" She stared up at Parisia. "You're...going to take me home?"

Parisia wrestled herself out of Andal's grip, stepping back on the path of stars. "Y-Yes. I am."

"Did you hear that, Andal? She's going to take us home!" Talli cheered. "You can see Daddy again!"

The woman sighed, frowning at the now happy child. "No, I mean...to your birth home. Where us chrono angels live."

Talli's smile dropped off her face. "...Wh...What?" She whimpered, her face showing a crushed expression as if her favorite toy had just been broken.

"Carla, I can't place you back in the timeline you were raised in," Parisia tried to explain. "It's consumed. Something like that cannot be undone. I want to take you to your real home."

The small child immediately bolted back into the apparent safety of Andal's cloak, burying her face in it. "No!"

As if he's know her all his life, a feeling took up Andal, and he found himself picking Talli up into his arms. "Se sait no, lady. Ant I say no with her. We'll fint our way jhome."

Parisia paused. She stared straight at Andal, and an involuntary shiver went down his spine when she spoke. "I wasn't going to take a no. She'll die if I do nothing."

"Se was going to die-when you left jher to die!" The Hunter snapped at the woman.

"I know you have your reasons to hate and distrust me, but do you have a better option than to walk without a destination, to starve and wither away on this path?" Parisia gestured to the nebula around them.

He continued scowling, glaring a hole into Parisia. However, he finally softened his gaze when he looked at Talli. "If I go, will you go with me?"

"O...Okay," she whimpered in response, gripping onto the hem of the torn cloak tightly, perhaps snapping a few of the old threads in the fabric in the process.

"You jhear that, lady?" Andal turned his head to look at Parisia. "Se'll go, but I have to go, too. It's all or nothing. A package deal."

The chrono angel sighed. She wasn't mad, not at all. She was mostly relieved that her daughter was coming back with her. Instead, she was more worried and stressed. That meant she had to bring somebody only partially chrono angel, which had never been heard of before. Inside, she hoped that the other angels would be able to understand what happened.

"It's a deal." Parisia nodded after a few more moments of silence.

Andal grinned a winning smile at that. "Looks like I'll be jhanging arount with you a little more, Talli!"

"Her name is Carla," Parisia softly chided, making her way back down the path.

"Still Talli!" The younger angel's voice came from behind her.

Parisia took one step off the path, and Andal's heart nearly stopped. He thought her foot would plummet down, sending her into the void below and condemning her to a nasty fate to whatever was down there.

Instead, with a shimmering effect, she merged straight into it. Ripples fanned out from where she just stood, the air itself having a wavy effect. Now, what stood in her place was a shimmering, glistening portal of blue.

"I'm scared," Talli murmured, finding herself holding onto Andal tightly once more as she stood by his leg.

"Don't be," the Spanish Hunter stated, clasping one of her hands in his gloved one. "If anything jhappens, I'll be right behint you, ready to protect you."

Sniffling, the child wiped her newly-forming tears away. "O-Okay..."

Andal only hesitated a minute before before gaining a steely expression. Walking forward, he made sure to shield his eyes from the blue light emitting from the portal. Once the light was bearable enough before fading entirely, he lowered his arm to look up.

The area was completely different from the Walkways. Under their feet, blue grass swirled around their figures, tickling Talli's shoeless feet in the process. Glowing mushrooms gathered in clusters, hiding under trees and bushes that had dark blue leaves instead of any normal shade. The sky itself was pitch black, save for a beautiful painting of glistening blue stars. Shooting stars streamed across the sky every minute or so, leaving a line of sparkles.

Parisia looked up too, noticing Andal was enraptured. "That's our sky normally," she explained. "There's no weather or change in the sky. So, technically, it's always nighttime here."

"How do the plants live if there's no rain?" Talli innocently asked.

"That is a very good question, Carla. You see, the plants don't need water to live. Like us angels, they can survive without sunlight or water, and grow on only the essence of time in this place."

Andal looked around. "Speaking of, what is dis place? It's not dat Walkway place. I already know dat."

Parisia giggled. "It's not. We're still outside of the timelines, and connected to the Wallways, but we're currently where us chrono angels live. We call it Shion. We rarely come out of it, and usually let the universe develop the way it has."

"You...just let all dese timelines, dese realities...get consumed by darkness?" Andal questioned.

"It's how the universe functions. We can't change that. It's like the saying, the old makes way for the new."

Before he could snap back, a small yawn cut him off. He looked to see Talli rubbing her eyes, her mouth dropping open as the sound came out. Andal now noticed that she did seem quite tired, eyes half-open in an attempt to stay awake.

He could feel his heart melt, and he knelt down. "Awww. Are you tired, Talli?"

"Yea..." Another yawn helped the reply.

Andal picked up Talli in his arms. "Well, den, you can go to sleep in my arms, okay? When you wake up, I bet you're going to jhabe a great life."

Pulling the ragged Hunter cloak to her, she yawned again. "Maybe..." She murmured before passing out like a light.

Like Parisia worried about, the chrono angels initially were hesitant to approach Andal. They had no idea what truly caused his partial convergence, and also have never seen anything like it before. With a quick explanation from Parisia, however, they allowed him to stay without any more hints of suspicion.

Andal himself was uncomfortable about his situation. He just was pulled from his only home, his Ghost was destroyed by that damn Taniks, and he immediately was exposed to a much higher view of the universe, with the existence of time-shifting humanoids and physical embodiments of light and darkness. However, he knew at this point, he had no chance of going home and simply pretending like nothing ever happened. He couldn't leave Talli, or the guilt would practically eat him alive. He simply resigned himself to staying with her and the chrono angels, for however long he was going to live.

Surprisingly, Talli recovered quickly. The first few months, she was a bit uncomfortable with the new environment. However, by the fourth month of their stay, she finally started getting more comfortable, finally adopting the name of Carla as part of her identity.

However, she never called Parisia 'mom' or anything like that. Andal never encouraged her too, either. It seems they still share a common grudge for her actions.

When the child was okay with the sudden change of home, Parisia began her training. As the most powerful chrono angel recorded, her training had to start at an early age to be able to ingrain deep into her mind.

The first thing was obviously the wings. Chrono angels could summon wings in battle, or on a whim to be able to transport them easily. The wing size varied on how powerful the chrono angel was, which made both Andal and Parisia slightly worry how big Carla's wings were going to be.

They found out how big when, in a fit of anger, Carla brought out her wings while having an argument with Parisia. The eight foot wings that formed out of nowhere easily smacked Andal right in the face. The result was a black eye and a neverending slew of jokes from him that they could use the wings as weapons.

However, much to Andal's chagrin, Parisia completely avoided offensive ways altogether. Instead, she first taught Carla how to rewind time to heal wounds taken in battle. Then, she focused more on lessons on what plants in the place the angels lived were bad and good. It was obvious both Andal and Carla did not like these teachings, though they both admitted the rewinding time to heal skill would be extremely useful.

To combat this, Andal began to steal away Carla. Despite knowing little to nothing about chrono angel powers himself, he was determined to try and teach her to fight. He did everything, from trying to conduct the time magic as magical blasts, which worked, and trying to use them as a clone of Supers, which did not work. The latter did succeed in giving him two-degree burns and a scolding from Parisia.

The sniper switched to other means of fighting. At the young age of eleven, Carla was able to list every hand cannon and sniper rifle off the top of her head. However, she preferred the Devil's Dawn, much like Andal. After all, it was the only rifle he still had, and he refused to give it up, having too many memories behind it.

Timeweaver, Andal called it. Carla received a gift on her twelfth birthday, wrapped in a blue bow. It was a sleek, shiny new hand cannon, with gold trimming and ivory-like designs going across the barrel. The shots that fired from it were of blue blasts of magic that had a small blast radius, and the recoil felt so smooth and satisfying.

Parisia disapproved it, of course. However, she went into a fit entirely when Andal got Carla a full-on lance for her fifteenth birthday, the point made from the finest metal of known chrono angel archives, Chronite.

"Aw, come on, Pari," Andal lightly jousted as the fifteen-year-old twirled the lance behind him, a blue glow made from the Chronite point following her movements. "You're just fine with a gun, but you can't let de lady jabe an ober-glorified spear?"

"This is different! Close-range weapons have a higher chance of hurting her than long-range!"

"...Sure."

When she was sixteen, all three of them had an odd surprise, which began with a noticeable amount of food stolen at night. Not only that, but Andal picked up scurrying footsteps from the attic. He swore to investigate, and went up to the extra floor.

He came back down twenty minutes later with a homeless four-year-old named Keya and her tiny kitten Ambrosia.

Keya's parents had died from darkness while getting Keya Ambrosia from his timeline, Parisia said, and she had given her food while she was on the street. However, she had no idea that Keya followed her home to take shelter in their home, and Andal would obviously feel horrible if they kicked her out. So, with plenty of convincing on his side, the attic was refurnished, and Carla got a new sister.

By her nineteenth birthday, Carla was not only the most powerful, but the most deadly chrono angel. With her own personalized fighting style with a lance, and the marksmanship of a Hunter, she could best any angel that rivaled her.

She says angel because she has never beaten her uncle Andal Brask in a fight, close or long range.

One flaw has stuck with her throughout her years, however. This flaw was a lack of knowledge, and sometimes the refusal to learn it. Carla is outwardly cold, but inside, she is stubborn and straightforward. Once she learns of or makes a plan, she accomplishes it, end of question.

Which is why when she learned of the Umbra Mondo planning a monarchy by the fateful death of a chrono angel, Parisia could not possibly argue her out of it.

"We must strike back!" Carla declared as all three of them stood in the living room area of the house they've shared for the past fifteen years. In one hand was an orb of power, meant to be able to send her to her wanted destination. Her lance was on her back, Timeweaver on her hip. "We won't let them get away with this!"

Parisia sighed. "Carla, it was his own fault. He fought a battle he could not fight."

"How dare you claim you loved him as much as we all did!" Carla sobbed. "He didn't matter at all to you!"

"The darkness is another part of the universe that must play out the way it does! We cannot disrupt the natural balance over one death!"

Carla retorted, "We cannot just sit here and let something so dangerous pass by, especially after what just happened!"

Andal rubbed his eyes, which were red from crying. He obviously was very distressed. "Parisia, dey KILLED him! Without mercy! We can't let dis slide!"

"Not you, too!" Parisia groaned. "You're always on her side. It drives me nuts!"

Carla grimaced. "Parisia, it is 2 against 1. The action will be carried out."

"No." Parisia lunged for the orb in Carla's hand. "Give me that!"

The younger chrono angel stumbled back, knocking over a desk in the process. "Hey, what are you doing?!"

"Parisia!" Andal tried to hold back the woman. "Don't you eben care that he's dead, and you're letting jhis murderers get away with it?!"

Parisia responded by socking Andal away. "Stay out of this!"

"UNCLE!" Carla caught Andal when he slammed into her, the orb being dropped and shattering on the ground in the process. "Are you okay?!"

"It might swell a bit, but..." Andal rubbed his bruised cheek. "I'll be fine."

Parisia stared with wide eyes at the shattered orb of time magic. "What...?"

It exploded.

A huge blast of different hues of green and blue, ranging from cyan to sea green, sent them all flying. Parisia, the closest, was knocked out almost immediately. Andal was next to go, falling limp in the air as his arm surged with untamed power. Carla found herself reaching out before fading into unconsciousness as well.

Keya, unaware that she has been rendered alone and without a family once more, stepped in a few minutes later, Ambrosia in her arm. "Parisia! Uncle! Carla! I'm home!"

Far away, Parisia was the first to wake up. Cheek buried in black sand, she grunted as she forced her eyes open, showing her eyes dull with exhaustion.

None of her limbs responded to her, but she could twitch her fingers. Slowly and meticulously, she began to attempt to work feeling back into her hands. She scowled at the pain of doing so, but was able to press on, despite the sore feeling.

She was suddenly aware of growling, and her eyes darted up. There, a figure of ever-shifting darkness watched her with completely yellow eyes. Their teeth were bared, as if considering whether she was any kind of threat.

There was also the sound of boots going through the sand around Parisia, coming from behind. What accompanied them was a woman's voice. "Hey, hey!" The creature moved away, and the growling stopped. "Calm down. What did you find?" A gloved hand clapped Parisia's shoulder, and she flinched. "Hey, I think she's still alive. Just kind of paralyzed. Good job, little guy."

As if she was dead weight, Parisia found herself lifted up and placed across somebody's shoulders. She could only stare at the ground, arms dangling and eyes half open.

The woman holding her began to walk off. "Hey, I don't know if you can talk right now. Can you? Or nah?"

"Who...Who are you?" Parisia forced out.

"Me? Eh. Just some nomad trying to find a life in the Umbra Mondo. And you?"

"P...Parisia..."

"Parisia. I like that name. You're one of those chrono angel guys, right?"

For a mysterious and almost terrifying person, she sure did speak a lot, and so carelessly, Parisia noted. "I...I am."

"Well, then, welcome to the Umbra Mondo! Be glad I found you, and not some other creepy, psychopathic Umbrati, or you would be cut like wet mochi!"

"What...am I to you?"

"An opportunity at least, a friend at most. I've never met a chrono angel before, but I know they're very powerful and useful. You see, the Umbra Mondo's been trying to find a ruler for God knows how long. It's anarchy. I've been trying to get the throne, but I'm a bit caught up in some timeline events. If you could help me out and assist me onto the throne while I deal with the little civil war in that timeline, I'll be more than happy to get you back to where you came from."

Parisia scowled. She could feel her arms again, and her legs wouldn't take long to follow. She was not one for violence, but she had a chance to strike the mysterious woman down and flee to find a way back to the Walkways.

Except she didn't know how. The Umbra Mondo would most likely work differently than the timelines. Chrono angels could not possibly use their time magic for leaving the plane of darkness. They existed beyond the Walkways, beyond the timelines.

"O...Okay," she grunted. "I'll help."

The woman sounded surprisingly touched, her voice taking on a more warm perspective. "Thanks a lot, Pari girl. Can I call you that? Pari girl?"

"...Yes."

Andal was the next to wake up, and most likely in the most precarious spot. He forced his eyes open at a seering pain in his arm. Gripping it tightly, he pulled it close, grunting in pain at the feeling of it that could rival being on fire. When it obviously wasn't going to go away, he resorted to forcing his tired body onto his feet.

All around him was a void of different colors of blue, shifting like a kaleidoscope. While the Wallways had some semblance or order, this area around him barely had a fraction of that, instead mixed together to form nothing but continuously moving chaos.

"Where-" His voice cracked, hoarse and dry, and he broke into coughing, sending waves of pain through his sore arm. He covered his mouth, tears pricking at his eyes in pain. "Where am I? What is dis place...?"

His heart was pounding for some reason. His arm was shaking, faintly pulsing with the chrono angel magic imbued in it. He could faintly bet that he would look pale and sick if he looked into a mirror. Sweat clung to his body, and he felt both cold and hot. He pulled his cloak around him a bit tighter, wondering if he has come down with something.

At once, he almost fell to the ground in nausea. His arm was now crackling with the power, and he felt as if it was slowly tearing apart from the inside. A bright glow casting off of him, he could hear himself involuntarily screaming from the sudden new bout of unrelenting pain.

A sudden wind whipped through the loose strands from his ponytail, and he forced his eyes open to a blinding light. From the void, he was now on the rocky edge of a cliff, the sun beating down hard.

Andal rolled over and promptly emptied his stomach off the side of the cliff. He scrunched his eyes up, gasping for air. Finally, he rolled over and laid with his back on the ground, staring up with half-lidded eyes into the blue sky.

Shaking as he laid there, the pain gave way to exhaustion, and the glow, along with his aching arm, gradually slipped away, leaving him with a sudden desire to just curl up and sleep.

Andal pulled his hood over his head, shivering from a chill that ran across his body. That explosion upset the powers in his arm, and he had yet to narrow down exactly what that would do to him in the long run. He was too tired and drained to properly focus on one thing in his mind, however. Before long, he had fallen asleep right there on the cliff, in the middle of nowhere.

If he didn't go to sleep, he would have subconsciously wondered what had just happened. Now, he was affected with some sort of disease that just sent him rocketing across the universe itself into an unknown location.

This disease would most likely not go away with mere rest. As he woke up, he found himself in an entirely new location, arm aching once more as he laid in a green swath of grass and bushes, nowhere near the rocks that he slept on.

Only a few words came to mind as he laid there, realizing the predicament of uncontrollable teleportation he was in.

"Oh, Great Viajero."

Carla was the only one that woke up marginally normally. She awoke as if from a peaceful slumber, lying in a meadow with the occasional butterfly following the wind's course. She sat up, the only speck of white in an expansive field of green.

Flowers of many colors decorated the field, and she let her hand drift across a few. The different hues of reds and yellows enraptured her. For most of her life, she's only seem blue flowers.

Gathering a few picked red flowers into her hands, she looked up. The sky with its sun dazzled her, and left her almost speechless. Even the visible star in the sky was an amazing concept to her. It's been fifteen years since she last saw it, and that last memory was a small glimpse in her mind now.

"The sun..." She whispered to herself. "It's beautiful."

It took her a few moments to recover and notice both her uncle and mother were missing, and she was in an unknown environment. Standing up, she dropped the flowers. She began to walk forward, looking around in childlike wonder.

She reached out a hand to place it on one of the mighty trees at the edge of the meadow, just breaking out to dot the grassy cliff a few steps away. The other hand reached up and brushed the leaves on it. A browned one fell down, and she caught it, twirling it between two fingers.

Her moment of peace was cut off by a crunching noise of a footstep stepping onto dried leaves. Immediately, lance was drawn, and she pointed it directly behind her.

To respond, a blade hit against the lance, causing sparks to fly. Carla looked to see a boy with golden hair and dull eyes standing there, technological blade in hand. His clothing was torn and bloody, but there was not a single scratch on him.

He wasted no time to move. His sword was dislodged, and Carla nearly found herself with her throat slit open when he swung his blade at her, definitely planning to kill her. Luckily, only a small bead of blood dropped down from her neck from a tiny part of cut skin. The fatal wound was avoided.

To respond, Carla ducked low and shot the lance forward to attempt to drive it into the boy's stomach. Instead, he dodged expertly, as if he was a trained assassin, and once more dealt a blow on Carla by slashing her cheek open when she dodged another attempt to end her life.

He was good. Really good. That meant Carla had to end this quickly.

The chrono angel skidded back to get a good amount of distance in between them both. Placing Timeweaver in her hand, she raised it up and fired a shot that hit his head dead on.

And he absolutely shrieked. Instead of dying, he sparked blue. He clawed at his own head, makings rivers of blood drip down. The boy wailed like a child, the collar that he wore going haywire and practically electrocuting him with enough voltage to kill a person.

The collar. If Carla wanted to save the boy, the collar had to be removed.

The woman darted forward, and managed to close her gloved hand around the collar. Lance ready, she drove it forward and cut into the metal. While the synthetic skin under it was ripped open, the damage was done. The collar shattered in the hand that gripped it, and Carla ripped it away from the boy.

Upon closer look, there was no way they were anywhere beyond their very early 20s. They still retained a kid's face, which now contorted into one of pain and fear. Carla dimly noted that, even without the glow of a chrono angel's eyes, he had quite the pretty set of blue eyes himself.

With two steps, the boy went flying over the edge of the cliff. Torn cape streaming behind him, he screamed as his first breath of freedom involved him falling off the edge of a cliff.

Carla looked to watch the fall, of course. She even planned to jump after him. But she immediately noticed that he had already smacked into the rocky ground, leaving a splatter of red.

There was no way a human like him would have lived the fall. Despite her attempts, he was dead.

Slowly, she righted herself, despite shaking. She couldn't worry about this. She had to find Andal and Parisia. But first, she needed to know where she was, and what was happening.

But still, she wondered if she might someday get a name to the boy with strange facial markings and hair of gold.


	2. Blade of Marmora

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Krolia  
> -Keith  
> -Kosmo  
> -Uldren/Deimos  
> -Pulled Pork  
> -Nythera  
> -Cypress  
> -Faro  
> -Takumi  
> -Some big-ass spiders
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> The Blade of Marmora opens its doors to newcomers.

A row of about thirty or so people stood in a grassy area, all clad in the same outfit and at varying heights. Nobody moved from their positions as they faced forward to look at two other people.

 

The two facing the line were of different outfits, showing a higher status. The taller one was a woman with a purple skin tone, having a darker purple shade for hair and yellow sclera with purple eyes. The young man next to her shared the same purple iris color, but was human, with a long mullet and a scar on his cheek. Next to him was a fluffy wolf of black and blue colors.

 

“Recruits!” Krolia of the Blade of Marmora called to the thirty-something new recruits to the Blade of Marmora. “We are here in the continent of Lore, in the depths of Greenguard Forest, for one reason-to train. All of you passed the trials needed to become recruits for the Blade of Marmora. While some scraped by, others passed with flying colors.

 

“Usually, only Galra or ones with Galra heritage are allowed in the Blade of Marmora. However, recent developments, such as the sudden rise of a new threat labeled the Shadow Queen and the oncoming collapse of all realities, we have expanded our horizons. That means it doesn’t matter if you are Awoken, Reploid, or even half-dragon. We accept you as one of our own.

 

Krolia gestured to the young man besides her. “My son Keith and I plan to train you all into the best Blades the Alliance will have to offer. One day, we will reunite with our fellow Blades of Marmora, somewhere in this universe, led by the Blade Kolivan. Until then, we must learn how to prove to him that we will protect our homes, and our reality. Am I understood?”

 

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am!” The recruits chorused.

 

Krolia saluted to the line of Blades. “Knowledge or death!”

 

Once more, they spoke as one. “Knowledge or death!”

 

“Get comfortable with the people around you. They will be your comrades until your dying breath.”

 

At that, the line drifted apart. Soon, the thirty Blades mingled together into one group. Krolia watched them all, and found herself smiling when Keith joined one, talking to the Blades in it.

 

Takumi pulled at the hood of the Blade outfit. “You guys sure love the color black,” he mused.

 

“Says the guy with a black overcoat 90% of the time!” An Awoken with dreadlocks fired back.

 

The sniper laughed. “You’re just jealous that I look good in it, Faro.”

 

Keith raised a hand, noticing the anger practically emitting from Faro. “Alright, alright. Why don’t you guys introduce yourselves to each other?”

 

A Reploid that made it to Takumi’s shoulder in height gave an emotionless stare, having long white hair and markings similar to Cedar’s. “My name is Cypress. I can be your soldier in technology. That has always been my specialty.”

 

“Cypress, huh?” Takumi smiled. “My adoptive father’s named like a tree, too. However, the last person that was also named after a tree helped kidnap me and caused me to lose my arm. Please don’t be like him.”

 

“So that’s why my scans picked up your arm as robotic. I thought I was just glitching out.”

 

Keith smiled. “Never heard you call your dad, well, your dad before.”

 

“Yea, yea, ha, ha, tell him I said that and I’ll kill you.”

 

“Well, my name’s Faro,” the Awoken stated, crossing his arms in a similar manner to the only one in the group with their mask still activated. “I used to be part of the Crows.”

 

“Used to?” Takumi asked as the masked Blade perked up. “What happened?”

 

“Advocated for Uldren Sov’s innocence when he betrayed the Reef.”

 

The pigtailed woman with pursed lips and crossed arms had her frown deepen into a scowl. “...I oughta punch you.”

 

Keith seemed particularly apprehensive about that. “Nobody is punching anybody. Everyone is entitled to have their own views, and there are only special exceptions to a Blade allowed to hit another Blade.”

 

“Well, a view on a traitorous murderer should be unanimous. I feel like this could be a bit of an exception.”

 

“Alright, alright,” The Blade official grunted. “Well, what's your name, at least?"”

 

“...Nythera.” She looked away from everyone.

 

“You mean the half-elf, half-dragon?” Keith questioned.

 

Cypress’s eyebrows cocked up. “You’re half-dragon?”

 

Takumi only raised an eyebrow. “There’s nothing special about that. My step-sibling is half-dragon.”

 

“Nothing special?!” Nythera grabbed Takumi by the front of his Blade outfit. “I’ll have you know, I’m the second-most powerful mage of Lore, soon to be the most powerful! If you ever say I’m nothing special again…” Purple magic built on her free hand, causing Takumi’s hair to blow a bit in the forming wind. “I’ll send you to the Void itself for your insolence, mortal!”

 

Takumi’s reaction was nonexistent. “Okay. Though Commander just said, no violence against your other teammates.”

 

“...” Nythera released Takumi, and resumed an uninterested pose. “I don’t even want to be here. Artix made me.”

 

“Um...Right.” Keith honestly had no idea how to respond to what just occurred. “Is that everybody?”

 

At once, a Reef-purple Ghost with a flower-like design appeared from thin air next to the masked Blade. “Heyyyy! How did you forget us, Keith?”

 

The young man chuckled. “As if I would forget you and Deimos.”

 

Faro smiled. “Pulled Pork. You finally found your Guardian?”

 

Pulled Pork landed himself on Deimos’s head. “Yup! Pros, he’s awesome, and so is his boyfriend! Cons, he’s mute.”

 

Takumi’s lips curled up in a smile. “Deimos has a boyfriend, huh?” He chuckled. “Is he irritating? I have one myself, and all he really does is try to boss me around. But I love him all the same.”

 

Keith raised an eyebrow. “Deimos got a boyfriend? When?”

 

“Wouldn’t you know, since you’re the boyfriend?” The Ghost asked in a coy manner.

 

At once, he turned a shade as deep red as his previous Lion. “What?! I’m not-are you-You are not-”

 

Pulled Pork sounded like he was laughing. It wasn’t long before the others joined in his laughter, causing Keith’s blush to spread to the rest of his face. His ears were flaming up as if he had a fever, and his mouth was distorted into a mix between a scowl and a gap.

 

Deimos immediately snagged his Ghost from the air, and Pulled Pork shut up. Without a single word, Deimos got his point across.

 

Takumi patted Keith’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. I got teased a lot because of my crush on a boy. That was years ago, and since then, I've been in an on-and-off relationship and slept with him twice!”

 

“Are you trying to tell me something here?!” Keith fumbled, narrowing his eyes at the sniper.

 

“Give it time, and maybe you two will end up together like Pulled Pork said!”

 

“Speak another word like that, and I’ll throw you to the wolves.”

 

“...Alright.”

 

Night fell quicker than anybody anticipated. The day ended fast, and soon, the Blades tried to get themselves situated in the area. However, when the night came, spiders the size of any normal human being followed, and most of them fled to the treetops and clustered in groups.

 

Takumi stared down at the ground, watching one of the spiders skitter by. “Spiders. The size of me.” He laughed almost nervously. “I am very happy the Hunter Vanguard did not sign up for this.”

 

Keith raised an eyebrow as the two of them and Deimos sat in the same tree together. His dog Kosmo was laying across his lap, and he idly petted him. “She has arachnophobia?”

 

“Weird, right? She can become so experienced in five years that she gains the title of Hunter Vanguard, but one simple daddy longlegs can send her right onto the table.” Takumi laughed.

 

“You say that as if you have experience in that,” Keith noted with a smirk and amusement in his eyes.

 

“First-hand experience,” Takumi agreed, leaning against the bark of the tree before looking over. “Hey, I never heard Deimos’s story.”

 

Pulled Pork shifted, resting in the space between Deimos’s neck and his hood. “Well, what do you want to hear?”

 

“Why he’s lying.”

 

Keith’s stomach twisted into a knot, and his petting ceased, causing Kosmo to be alert as well. “Uh...What’s he lying about?”

 

“The fact that he can speak. You said he was mute. But I hear him speaking to you and his Ghost when you think nobody is watching. The only reason you would lie about that is to hide his voice, most likely out of fear that nobody will recognize it. So, Deimos is not your true identity.”

 

The Black Paladin narrowed his eyes. “I think you were just hearing-”

 

“Keith.” Both looked at Deimos speaking up. “There’s no point in hiding it. He knows.”

 

“So Deimos really isn’t your name,” Takumi said. “I was kind of stabbing in the dark for that one.” He narrowed his eyes. “So who are you really?”

 

“I will show you, but...You must swear to not tell it to anyone.”

 

The sniper sighed. He raised two fingers with his left arm. “Scout’s honor.”

 

Deimos raised two fingers to the side of his mask. With a click, it turned off and faded away with a purple hue. His black bangs with white tips dropped out from being so tightly pressed to his face. Glowing amber eyes met Takumi’s duller amber eyes.

 

“...You’re Prince Uldren Sov,” Takumi realized. “I’ve seen your pictures!”

 

Keith quickly tried to intervene. “He’s a Guardian. He doesn’t remember what he did. And even if he did, he was possessed. No actions he made were of his own.”

 

Still, the grimace on Takumi’s face remained. “And I should believe that why?”

 

“Listen…” Pulled Pork floated up to the sniper. “We would have told you and the Blades who Uldren was if we weren't scared. We had no idea what the reaction towards him would be. Uldren is genuinely upset over what he’s done, and he wants to fix it.”

 

Takumi raised an eyebrow, looking skeptical. However, he nodded. “Right. Okay. Whatever.” He pulled up his hood. “As long as you don’t put a knife in my back, I’m okay with it.”

 

His carelessness caused Keith to worry. “You swore you won’t say anything.”

 

“And I did! I swore on my arm!” Takumi raised his left arm to raise a point.

 

“Yea. Weird way to put it, but you did.”

 

Pulled Pork returned to the small pocket in Uldren’s hood. “Well, now that that’s settled, it’s nighttime! We should all get some shut eye!”

 

“...Right.” Despite not able to shake the feeling Takumi was planning something, Keith huddled up in the corner the tree and branch created. “We should.”

 

With his mask back on, Uldren retreated to Keith’s side, comfortable in the warmth the halfbreed emitted. Takumi merely sat on the branch, looking around and taking in the environment. Before long, all three drifted off to sleep at various times.

 

Takumi was the last to fall asleep. As Keith, Kosmo, and Uldren dozed off, curled up next to each other, he dropped out of the tree and onto the grass. Hood up, he walked over to another tree not too far away and looked up.

 

Krolia was alone in it. She wasn’t asleep at all, instead staring out at the area around her. Her ear twitched, and she looked down to see Takumi standing there and staring up at her.

 

He took that as an invitation, and he began climbing up into the tree. “I need to talk to you.”

 

“Resigning already?” Krolia joked as he made it to the top.

 

Takumi made himself comfortable on a branch, and began picking at his shoulder through the outfit. “No. But first, I have to do something. Can you look away for a moment?”

 

“Um...Sure.” Krolia did so with a confused expression.

 

She was even more baffled when there was a metallic drumming noise. Her head whipped back in time to see Takumi gingerly lay a metal arm on his lap, pulling back on his outfit. The left sleeve of his armor now hung limp at his side.

 

“You...removed your arm?” Krolia questioned.

 

“I swore on my arm to not talk about what I’m about to say. So I found a loophole by my first year with this thing.” He laughed. “Now, Cedar makes me swear with my right arm when it’s family business.” Quickly, he cleared his throat. “I’m getting off-topic. I need to talk to you about Deimos.”

 

“What about him?” Krolia questioned.

 

“How do I put this...You know Uldren Sov, right?”

 

The Galra snorted. “Who doesn’t?”

 

“Deimos is Uldren.”

 

Krolia didn’t say anything, only stared at Takumi. After a few moments, she chuckled. “Is this a joke?”

 

“Haven’t you wondered why you haven’t seen his face before?” He merely responded. “Perhaps it was to hide his identity.”

 

She obviously didn’t know how to respond. As Takumi watched, her expression faltered slightly, eyes narrowed. He faintly wondered if this was a good idea, but quickly reminded itself it would be beneficial to everyone in the end.

 

“How did you learn of this?” She asked.

 

“Keith,” Takumi answered. “I saw through his lie, and while Keith bluffed, Uldren gave in, fast.”

 

At that, Krolia’s eyes widened. “Keith knew?”

 

“I think he knew from the start.”

 

The woman sighed. “He better know what he’s doing.”

 

Takumi looked baffled. “You aren’t going to do anything?”

 

“I mean, I’ve known from the start, and it’s obvious his Highness really means no harm.”

 

“You what?!” The sniper yelped. “Then why didn’t you call him out?!”

 

Krolia chuckled. “Because the Blades would have been on him in an instant. I wanted them to get to know him as a friend before he revealed his identity.”

 

“But...how did you know?”

 

“You know the test, right?”

 

The test to be inducted into the Blade of Marmora. Takumi remembered quite well. The recruit’s worst fears would be played against them to test their loyalty and strength. While Takumi knew his quite well, and remembered the illusion of synthetic blood on his hands and the two Reploid corpses before him, he had no idea what any other one was. That information was not easily revealed.

 

“How could I not?” Takumi snarked, beginning to place his arm back onto his body.

 

“I know the results of every trial. However, Keith tried to hide his Highness’s from me. With enough digging, I figured out it was…” Krolia cleared her throat. “Keith perishing.”

 

“How does that tell you who he was?”

 

“Because Keith had confided in me that he recently helped a Ghost locate their Guardian in the Reef. Hearing that Uldren Sov’s corpse disappeared, I put two and two together.”

 

Takumi smiled. “Uldren’s fear is losing Keith?”

 

“I think Keith is his only friend besides his Ghost. He was even the first person he woke up in his new life to see. Guardians don’t remember their previous lives…”

 

“So it’s safe to say Uldren really means no harm,” Takumi finished.

 

“Exactly.” Krolia looked over. “I just need to find a way for the other Blades to realize that.”

 

“I’ll help you find a way.” Takumi grinned. “And I guess I’ll try to get to know the new Uldren. He seems nice, though a bit cold.”

 

Krolia reached over and clapped a hand on Takumi’s shoulder. “Keep an eye on Keith. If we’re wrong, and Uldren really harms him, I want at least somebody to help protect my son.”

 

“Of course, Commander. Good night.” Takumi swung a leg over the branch he was on and dropped down, falling to the ground below.

 

“Good night, Takumi.”

 

Early the next morning, Takumi noticed Krolia pull Deimos and Keith aside as the Blades conversed and planned to share past experiences and training with each other to be truly uniform. Judging by Krolia looking at the masked Deimos more often, Keith’s shocked expression, and a dirty glare to Takumi, she was telling them that she knows of Deimos’s identity. That only left the problem of telling everyone else.

 

As Takumi watched Faro and Nythera get into a heated argument that ended with Nythera punching him into the ground, Krolia raised her voice. “Blades! Can I get your attention?”

 

All of them looked over, ceasing their discussions. Krolia stood at the edge of the clearing they were in. Keith stood at her left side, Deimos on her right. Kosmo tilted his head, and his owner gave him the motion to stay.

 

“I’m afraid that I lied to you about something. Well, all three of us did. And we didn’t like lying. We just had to, because we had no idea what you all would think of Deimos.”

 

Nythera scowled. “Where are we going with this?”

 

Deimos himself spoke up, breaking his silence. “I’ll explain.”

 

“I thought you were mute!” Cypress pointed out. “What’s going on here?”

 

“Deimos isn’t my real name.” Deimos turned off his mask while pulling off his hood to show the Awoken underneath. “My name is Sov. Uldren Sov. Prince of the Reef, and Guardian.” He raised a hand, and Pulled Pork nestled his way into it. “And this is my Ghost, Pulled Pork.”

 

All the Blades stayed silent, but Keith noticed a few reaching for their weapons at their side. He immediately raised his hand. “No need to arm yourselves. He is not a threat.” Slowly, their hands lowered, and he found himself breathing a sigh of relief.

 

Uldren sighed. “I don’t remember what I did, but I’ve heard of it. I dabbled in forces I didn’t understand. I broke several malicious beings out of prison, and killed the fourth Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 in the process. I unleashed the last Ahamkara, and nearly destroyed what this world worked for. What I did killed me. Honestly, I did not deserve to become a Guardian.

 

He looked at his purple Ghost, which now circled him, listening with as much intent as everyone else. “But a Guardian I am. This Ghost searched for me for eons, and yet still would not have found me if it wasn’t for the help of Keith.” At that, he looked at the young man nearby. “Thank you.”

 

Keith nodded in return, smiling. “It was the right thing to do.”

 

Uldren looked back out at everyone. “I’m not ready to speak to the Alliance on who I am. I’m going to start small. I’m going to start here, with my comrades.” He showed a rare smile. “My friends.”

 

Krolia placed a hand on Uldren’s shoulder. “Blades! This man does not even remember the crimes he performed! He finds disgust and horror that he ever did them! Shall we blame him for something that the Uldren we know now hates as much as you do?”

 

Cypress growled. “Not remembering it does not make him innocent!”

 

In turn, it was Takumi’s turn to speak. “I have been influenced by a being more powerful than me as well. However, I was saved. I believe I would have been forced down the same path Uldren took if I wasn’t.” He uncrossed his arms and met eyes with Uldren. “That’s why I trust him. Because I know what’s like to be horrified at the actions that your body, not your mind took.”

 

“Nythera! Back me up here!”

 

“No,” the half-dragon responded in her bitter tone, causing Cypress to pause. “Because I too share the same past. Controlled to do something horrible. I’m not saying I like him. I’m saying I understand him.”

 

“But...He's a...” The Reploid stammered.

 

Finally, she stopped when Faro put a hand on her shoulder. “Cypress. That’s enough.” He took one of her hands into his own, and they looked at each other. “You don’t have to like him. You just have to accept him.”

 

Cypress frowned, shaking from either being nearly driven to tears, embarrassed, or enraged. “Faro...”

 

“Just accept that he’s one of us. For...For me.” He pulled her into a hug. “Okay?”

 

Faro could feel her nod against his shoulder. “Okay. I don’t like him, but...but I trust you.”

 

“Then it’s decided!” Krolia called. “To everyone outside of us, he is Deimos! But to us, he is Uldren Sov! Our ally!”

 

Uldren looked out at the recruits as they cheered, fists in the air. He glanced at both Nythera and Takumi. Takumi smiled, and Nythera gave a half smile, and he smiled back.

 

Before he could move, a sudden weight slammed into him. Falling on the ground, he was attached by licks from Kosmo now pinning him down and smearing slobber all over his face.

 

Keith laughed, watching the scene. “See? Even Kosmo likes you without your mask!”

Instead of getting mad, Uldren merely reached and scratched the wolf on the head. “Yea...I guess he does.”


	3. Play a New Hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in this chapter:
> 
> -Lucy-1  
> -Uldren Sov  
> -Carla  
> -Talli  
> -Pidge  
> -Ikora Rey  
> -Zavala  
> -Cayde-6  
> -Fox
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> An old face is shown, and Lucy-1 risks her title to return him to his rightful home.

_Lucy could barely prop herself up with one shaky arm. Synthetic blood dripped out of her mouth, and she leaned to cough it up onto the ground. Both her helmet and her beloved Ghost Echo were nothing but shattered remains on the ground. She didn’t even know where they were._

_As for herself, blood covered her face, almost blinding her in her only operating eye. Her white and magenta Hunter outfit was torn and stained by a maroon mix of colors. That means she got damaged really badly. Dimly, she was reminded of when she first woke up, bleeding out just like this. Except this time, she knew how the story ended before the chapter closed._

_She became aware of footsteps walking forward. A figure was approaching her, amber eyes staring right at her under their hood. In their hand was the Reaper’s Hand, standing out like a beacon against their dark armor._

_Lucy propped herself up, waving a hand. “You...You’re the peacock, aren’t you? The...prim and proper Prince of the Reef.”_

_“So you know me,” he coolly responded. “Good. That means introductions can go by quicker.”_

_“Lucy-1,” she coughed out. “Wife to Cayde-6, and Hunter.”_

_“Cayde-6.” Uldren looked up. “I could tell by the ruckus he was here. However, I had no idea he had a partner.”_

_Lucy smirked. “He’s a good man once you get to know him.” She tried to push herself onto her feet. “I bet right now...he’s scrambling down here...and he’s gonna arrive any minute now and destroy the absolute CRAP outta y-” She coughed up more blood, breaking off her little speech._

_The prince raised his finger to his lips, staring at the woman. A shushing sound came out of his mouth, as if she was just a cranky infant that woke up from their nap. “Shhh, sh shhhh...” He looked at the Reaper’s Hand. “This is going to hurt.” He raised the hand cannon to point it at her head. “A lot.”_

_“Hunters enjoy the pain,” she softly chided in return. “It makes us feel alive.”_

_“Any last words, Lucy-1?”_

_If anything, she would have the last laugh. Her gun was implanted with a tracker. If she really died, Cayde would follow that tracker straight out of the solar system to level Uldren’s forces and plans. But right now, the clever comeback was already brewing._

_She leaned forward, into the barrel of her own gun to stare death in the eyes. “Long live the queen.”_

_Uldren did not answer, and his finger only curled around the trigger. Lucy held in her laughter, and only gave a devilish smirk as she listened for the fateful shot._

_It didn’t take long in arriving, and the force hit her back on the ground. Instead of trying to get up again, she reserved to lying there. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. With her eyes, she watched Uldren’s boots walk past her towards somewhere._

_Before long, she heard other footsteps running up. Almost immediately after they stopped, she could hear the Ace of Spades being risen and Cayde’s voice barking. “Freeze!”_

_“She simply asked for it,” was Uldren’s cool response, and she didn’t hear him any more after that._

_The Exo abandoned the thought of shooting the prince, and instead ran to her. “Pinky!” He slid on his knees, and stopped right next to her._

_Lucy grinned in return. “Hey. Is the idiot hair alright?” She raised a hand to poke the strand of hair that has always refused to stay down._

_“Where’s Echo?”_

_Her Ghost. Lucy flinched at that. “Destroyed. One of the Scorn got to her.”_

_Cayde didn’t hesitate in bringing Sundance out. “Sundance! Her Ghost’s destroyed! You have to help her!”_

_The Ghost looked at Lucy. “Oh, no...” She looked back up at Cayde. “Cayde, I...I can’t do anything. Not without Echo.”_

_“Hey, love.” Lucy raised a hand. “You better chase that bastard to the ends of the universe to kill him.”_

_“Don’t say that.” Cayde pulled her into his arms. “Don’t say that as if you’ll die.”_

_She laughed. “Oh, come on, Cayde. Guardians never die. They were dead to begin with. We’re...We’re just corpses walking. All we do is just return to our normal states.”_

_“Stop it. Just stop talkin_ _’ and_ _let’s go get you help!”_

_“Cayde...who is even going to help me? I’m one of a kind. I’m a special Exo, with no breadcrumbs to follow back to my origins. There’s nobody that knows how to fix me.”_

_“I’ll try.” Cayde’s voice wavered, and he gripped her stilling body. “I’ll do it! I’ll save you!”_

_“...Thank Zavala and Ikora. Shaxx and Amanda. And Shandra and Diablo-4...if you can find them. Tell them...that they...were amazing friends...and...e-even better...family.”_

_“Pinky!”_

_Lucy’s hand dropped to her side, and her head tilted to the side. Her half-lidded eyes went dull, no signs of a humane glimmer or synthetic life in them. There was no ounce of any life anywhere on her body._

_“Pinky...? Lucy!” Cayde shook Lucy’s body, but no response was raised. “Lucy!”_

_“Cayde,” Sundance said softly. “She’s gone.”_

_“She...She can’t.” Cayde hung his head, staring at her limp form. “She couldn't have.”_

_The Exo sat there, staring at the body on his lap. He desperately wished in that moment the ability to cry, to be able to vent his sorrows. But not a single tear came._

_Footsteps came from behind him. He didn’t even look as Petra ran up, gun ready as if to combat the army both of them expected. Instead of being the cavalry to save Lucy, Petra stopped, seeing the white-clad corpse in Cayde’s arms._

_“...No...”_

_The funeral went by quicker than Cayde expected. He remembered bits and pieces, but didn’t pay attention for most of it. However, he paid attention enough to join Ikora in tearing Zavala’s argument apart, inflamed by rage by his cowardice._

_“My wife died, Zavala!” Cayde raised his voice, standing next to the blanket-covered body. “And you expect me to hide under the Traveler for safety?!” He drew his gun to make a point. “I’ll have you know I will die to hunt down that prince and make him pay!”_

_Zavala raised a hand to try and calm him down. “That is what I am afraid of. We can’t let anyone die.”_

_“Then nobody will.” Cayde put his gun back in its holster. “I’ll kill Uldren before he kills me.” Without another word, he spun, cloak swishing in the wind as he walked out._

_He saw Talli less and less after that. He occasionally told a Hunter to watch over her. However, he always returned to find the little girl alone, the Hunter called out for a mission or a night out. He didn’t really do anything about that, or truly grind it into the Guardian to stay with her. He was busy himself. They slowly drifted apart, and pretty much after that, he would be lucky to catch a glimpse of her, usually when she stayed up all night to welcome him home._

_Now, with the darkness surrounding and suffocating him, he wondered if he’ll ever see her again._

 

“So, I died in your timeline?” Lucy questioned Carla.

 

The chrono angel sat on Lucy’s desk as the Hunter Vanguard leaned against the pole. Both of them were at her station. “Yes. You perished in the Prison of Elders instead of Dad. I was pretty shocked to find myself in a timeline where it was the other way around.” She paused, then sighed. “We had a bad relationship after that happened.”

 

“But why?” Lucy was quick to assume a worried, motherly tone. She was getting better at that.

 

“When you died, Dad spent all of his time hunting down Uldren. He never succeeded in doing so before the timeline was consumed by darkness, and all that I knew was destroyed. Don’t get me wrong! I loved him dearly, and I still do today! I just...barely saw him after you died.” Carla stared at her hands, lacing her fingers together. “He was really on the path to killing Uldren.”

 

Lucy chuckled almost nervously. “Well, then, I’m happy he’s not here right now.”

 

“Why?”

 

“...Guardian reasons,” she quickly responded. “No reason for you to worry your head off.” She waved at Pidge walking by. “Hey, Pidge.”

 

“Hello, Hunter Vanguard!” The girl waved hello before continuing on her way.

 

Pidge ducked under a Guardian carrying a box on their shoulder. Swerving past a duo talking, she proceeded to hop over a Hunter cape dragging on the ground. The Tower was getting even more crowded than before, she idly thought.

 

Walking up to the door to the Vanguard Hall, she thumbed through the papers in her hands. After seeming to confirm to herself she had what she wanted and smiling, she opened the door.

 

Inside, Ikora was at the table, looking down at the papers on it. However, the woman was aware enough to look up as Pidge entered. “Ah. Hello, Pidge.”

 

“Hello, Ikora.” Pidge walked up to Ikora. “You requested these papers, right?”

 

“I did.” Ikora took them, then paused. “...Did you do these?”

 

She frowned as Ikora thumbed through them. “Initially, I thought they were for me. I’m sorry for-”

 

“No. In fact, I’m impressed. These all are filled out entirely correctly.” Ikora checked the papers over again, a smile on her face.

 

Pidge chuckled, and she scratched the back of her neck. “Well...You’re welcome. They weren’t that hard to do.”

 

“Quantity makes up for quality,” Ikora snarked. “I have dozens of these by the day.” After a pause, she gave a smile to Pidge. “It would help to have an extra pair of hands.”

 

Touched, Pidge put a hand on her chest. “Are you...asking me to be your assistant?”

 

“I would be honest, I don’t think most people are qualified or intelligent enough to understand most of the words on here.”

 

She laughed. “Yea! Some of those words were high vocabulary, I’ll give you that. They’re not common knowledge.” She frowned. “But would this interfere with my availability on the field like Hunk’s cooking job with Miss Levante does?”

 

“If you know how to balance paperwork and field activity, then no.”

 

Pidge grinned at that. “I think I can do that. Okay, I’ll bite. It doesn’t sound too hard to do extra paperwork.”

 

“Don’t curse it,” Ikora softly chided, still smiling.

 

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Pidge patted herself down. “I didn’t want to give it to you, because it came from an unknown source, and the data is corrupted...”

 

Ikora raised an eyebrow. “An anonymous gift?”

 

“Sort of.” The teenager pulled out a tablet and held it out. “I don’t recognize the technology it is.”

 

The Warlock Vanguard took it. “I don’t, either.” She placed a hand on both sides. “However, it still appears to be in working condition.”

 

Pidge shrugged in a meaningless answer. “I guess try it, if you really want to.”

 

Ikora pressed the button on the side. She watched the screen light up and flicker white. However, she noticed glitching effects at the corners. It seems like Pidge’s intuition of it being corrupted, or at most marginally broken, was correct. Still, she let it buffer to investigate its contents.

 

Finally, a video appeared. It was too dark to really see anything in it. Ikora tried squinting to no avail. She could pick up violet hues, both from a glow and a solid color. She could recall the colors of Umbrati were of violet and black, which already worried her. With a bit of more hesitation, she pressed the play button.

 

As Pidge watched, she couldn’t pick up the audio, too far away. However, whatever it was made Ikora pale. A hand slowly went up to her face as the younger woman watched her. She stayed silent the whole time, worrying Pidge even more.

 

“Ikora?” She dared to ask.

 

Ikora looked up. “Get Lucy and Zavala.”

 

“What?”

 

“Go get them. Now.”

 

Pidge paused. After a moment, she nodded. Turning on her heel, she bolted out of the Hall, leaving Ikora alone in there.

 

Only a few minutes later, her fellow Vanguard members walked in with Pidge. Zavala led the small group, the two women tailing close after.

 

“What is it, Ikora?” Zavala questioned.

 

At this point, the Warlock Vanguard was leaning against the table. Her knuckles were white from clutching the edge. The tablet was laid in front of her, and the play button was now a replay button. When they entered, her head turned to them to reveal a worried expression.

 

“I...saw him.”

 

Lucy frowned. “Who? You gotta say a name, not a gender preference.”

 

Ikora looked ahead, eyes misty. “I saw Cayde.”

 

Immediately, Ikora was pushed aside. Lucy plucked the tablet straight off the table, gripping it so tightly, she was afraid of her breaking it. Her gloved finger pressed down hard on the replay button, and the video began again.

 

The video playing had more light than the thumbnail. It seemed to be the center of a circular room of various gray hues. Violet and black tapestries and a carpet gave a more vibrant color. A figure shrouded by darkness stood on the right, and Lucy recognized them as the solid color of purple. On the left, a large orb of surging violet properties pulsed, with a levitating body in the center of it. They were either dead or sleeping, by the lack of movement.

 

Lucy identified the horn and cape. “Cayde...”

 

_“The Hunter Vanguard.”_ The man spoke up, voice identifiable as Fox’s. _“The ace in the hole. The poker player. Cayde-6. Truly, what a sight to see him. In our hands, as a mere prisoner.”_

 

He chuckled as if it was a joke. _“If you think you have the bravery to come for him, princess, then come to us. The Umbra Mondo’s capital, Shadow’s Heart. But be warned, do come here as quickly as you can. For the queen’s patience with you is very limited._

 

_“If you want your gunslinger back alive, do come and find him. I will be waiting.”_

 

With that, the video ended. Everyone stood there, seeming to hold their breaths. There seemed to not be a single sound in the Vanguard Hall, or Lucy naturally tuned it out.

 

“That was...Fox, right?” Lucy asked quietly.

 

“At least we have a voice to a name, though hardly a face,” Pidge dryly commented.

 

Lucy summoned Echo into her hand. “Tell Amanda to prep my ship.”

 

“And where do you think you are going?” Zavala asked as she began to head out of the hall.

 

“Where else?” she responded. “The Umbra Mondo.”

 

“Are you insane?” Ikora questioned.

 

“Yes. Does that change anything? No.”

 

Zavala grabbed Lucy’s arm. “We will not let you go on such a suicide mission, Lucy. You may not come back. It would be you against an Umbrati horde.”

 

“On the way out, it would be two people,” she snapped back.

 

Pidge spoke up, looking up at Lucy. “Did you see him move?”

 

The Hunter Vanguard paused. “What?”

 

“He didn’t move at all in the video. For all we know, Fox could have just used Cayde’s body.”

 

“As bait for a trap,” Ikora finished.

 

Lucy bared her teeth. “Don’t. Don’t say that.”

 

“Cayde died,” Zavala reminded her in a stern tone. “We all saw his body.” Lucy didn’t respond. “It’s too risky to let the Hunter Vanguard go alone to the Umbra Mondo for one Guardian. It’s...” He wisely closed his mouth.

 

However, it was too late, as Lucy’s face darkened. “Finish your sentence. Do it.”

 

“...Not worth it.”

 

Lucy spun to face Zavala, a purple glint signaling she was drawing her knife. “You COWARD!”

 

Ikora quickly ran over and grabbed her. “Lucy, no! It’s not worth it.”

 

“What the hell is wrong with you people?!” Lucy thrashed in Ikora’s grip.

 

Zavala gripped her by both shoulders. “Lucy! Listen!” She stopped, but only glared at him. “Do you not see what danger you are putting yourself in? It could result in us losing another Hunter Vanguard. And we can’t. Not so soon.”

 

“Oh, so it’s not me who matters, it’s the title of Vanguard.”

 

“That’s not what I-”

 

“Then shut up.”

 

Zavala sighed, letting go of Lucy. “The Hunter Vanguard requires just proof the Hunters have somebody to report to. They need guidance, and we need somebody to watch over them.”

 

Lucy grew quiet. “So...it’s not a Vanguard job.” Her voice wavered, and she gained misty eyes. “It’s one of those automated ‘hello, goodbye’ robot jobs.”

 

Zavala grimaced. “I didn’t mean it like th-”

 

“Yea. Yea, I got you.” Obviously hurt, Lucy began walking away. “I’m out.”

 

The Titan Vanguard started to follow her, but Ikora stopped him. “Let her go.”

 

“She will be killed!” Zavala exclaimed.

 

“There’s no way we can talk her out of it now.” Pidge watched Lucy go, crossing her arms. “We just have to pray for the best at this point.”

 

Zavala seemed to prepare to argue, in a bid to try and preserve Lucy’s life. He felt it was his responsibility to help her continue Cayde’s legacy, and she could not continue it like this. However, he wisely closed his mouth once a stern glare from Ikora with her arms crossed was shot his way.

 

Lucy descended down the steps into the hangar. Her magenta and white Ghost followed her, watching her go past others in the Alliance.

 

“You’re insane,” Echo was saying to her Guardian. “It’s impossible for him to be alive. We saw Sundance destroyed. We saw his unmoving body.”

 

“But there’s actually a chance we were wrong,” Lucy replied. “I want to take that chance.”

 

“You know there’s no chance. Pidge was right, this has to be a ruse!”

 

The Hunter Vanguard stopped walking, and Echo stopped flying after her, only levitating and whirring in the air. Lucy did not turn to or look over her shoulder at the Ghost, and simply faced ahead, letting her cloak drift in the wind from the air flying in.

 

“What would Cayde do?” She asked quietly. “If I was in his situation. Thought dead, then revealed to be the prisoner of an enemy rumored to be a merciless psychopath. Nobody knew whether I was dead or alive, unconscious or my body used as bait. What would Cayde do? Sit by, or save me?”

 

“...Save you.”

 

Lucy turned to look at her Ghost. “So why should I not do the same?”

 

“Because you’re not Cayde.”

 

“I may not be, but I’m the closest we have to him. So I will have to do.”

 

“...Then we better hurry and see for ourselves his condition.” Echo flew forward.

 

Lucy smiled. “That’s my Echo.” She followed close behind.

 

Only ships belonging to the highest-ranking members of the Alliance got a recent upgrade. Prototype testing of a device made from Rowan’s data of the Umbra Mondo was complete. The result was a way to access the ultimate darkness. While it was only for emergencies, Lucy had the best luck of ranking high enough for her ship to have it.

 

She sat herself into her seat and turned on the ship. She listened to its hum of life before smiling and pulling up her hood.

 

“No helmet?” Echo questioned.

 

“Never got around to replacing it.” Lucy patted down her head, enough so that her stubborn hair didn’t make the hood stick up. “Besides, I don’t really need it, technically speaking.”

 

As the ship lifted off and shot out, Ikora watched. Her arms were crossed, and she had a rare, worried expression on her face. Others around her looked at her with confused faces, but still moved on to proceed with their tasks or conversations.

 

“Good luck, Lucy,” she murmured. “While most of us won’t like the answer, I know you have to see it for yourself.” Ikora smiled. “Hunters are stubborn like that.”

 

In the fleeing ship, Lucy pressed a few buttons in her ship. “Okay, Echo. Hold on.” She gripped the controls as the edges of her window turned purple. “Let’s see if this prototype works.”

 

She could tell it did. She was nearly shaken straight out of her seat by the ship jostling. Looking up, she stared out the window as it was blanketed entirely in purple. She couldn’t see anything through it. Not like she could focus enough to, being thrown back and forth. She managed to stabilize herself in her seat, keeping her head up enough to not allow it to slam into the controls.

 

Lucy moved to wipe the window when it began to fog up. As she did so, she watched the purple tint fade, only to give way to a black void with barely any visible light.

 

She slowed down the ship significantly, moving to land it. “This is the Umbra Mondo.”

 

“Creepy,” Echo murmured.

 

“What do you expect from the plane of darkness itself?”

 

Once she felt the ship shudder from landing, Lucy stood up. She checked to make sure her gun, scythe, and knife were on her belt. Nodding in approval when she found all three things, she turned and exited the ship.

 

Once her foot stepped out, it planted into black sand. Lucy expected a hard, cracked ground, but she wasn’t worried about that. Besides, the sand soon moved apart a distance away to show solid, rocky floor.

 

Lucy checked her gun’s ammo. “Echo, check for any Ghost frequencies.”

 

“Sundance was destroyed, Lucy.”

 

“Just do it. If you do pick something up, that means I’m right.”

 

Echo sighed. “If you say so. But right about what?”

 

“I’ll tell you after you do it. Hurry up!”

 

Echo’s shell expanded, exposing her inner core and casting her blue light everywhere. Immediately, Lucy raised the Reaper’s Hand, pointing it around. Her muscles were tensed, ready for any Umbrati to strike Echo when she was vulnerable. Thankfully, that never happened, and both of them were completely alone.

 

Echo closed. “I got something. And… You’re right.” She turned to Lucy. “I’ve detected it before. It’s Sundance!” Lucy could hear Echo’s voice sigh. “It’s impossible, but she’s there.”

 

“Damn. Then I’m right.” Lucy began walking forward. “Give me the coordinates of Sundance.”

 

“I will. What are you right about?”

 

“The Umbra Mondo exists out of the timelines, right? So Fox could have just pulled a random Cayde out of any timeline and claimed it was ours.”

 

“So...Cayde is still dead, and this is just a different Cayde. That makes more sense than him and Sundance suddenly reviving with no explanation.”

 

Lucy frowned. “Yea...But that means we have no idea what this Cayde has gone through in his timeline. He might be...different.”

 

Echo clicked, and turned in a direction. “I got her coordinates. She’s on the move.”

 

The Hunter Vanguard looked surprised at that. “On the move? But how? Wasn’t Cayde in that...that bubble thing?”

 

“Maybe the bubble thing moves,” Echo proposed.

 

Lucy groaned, holstering her gun. “We need to move. Which way?”

 

“Northwest.”

 

“...What IS northwest here?!” Lucy gestured around.

 

Echo stared at her, her eye emoting enough. “Just follow me,” she groaned before zooming off.

 

“Could have just said that...” Still, Lucy followed.

 

The trek through the Umbra Mondo was not that bad. No Umbrati attacked them, as they were completely alone in the area. However, that was also a drawback. Seeing the expansiveness and the darkness of the endless-seeming area sent common chills down her spine.

 

Soon, the sound of her footsteps changed to the noise you would hear while walking on a cobblestone road. Alerted by the new feeling under her boot, Lucy looked down to see about a four feet wide road that ran off into the void on both sides of her. Dim lights with violet fires in them lined the roads, though rarely, and gave off little warmth and barely even glowed.

 

“What is this?” Lucy wondered to mostly herself, staring at the neat bricks of a dark silver color perfectly lined to make the path.

 

“Sundance’s coordinates go to the right of us.” Echo turned. “If we walk on the road, we’ll be able to reach her.”

 

“Is she still moving?” Lucy looked towards the cluster of black, jagged rocks in the distance, their supposed destination.

 

“No. She’s stopped.” Echo turned to look at Lucy. “The question is, why?”

 

“Do you think it may be a trap?” She pointed forward. “The area we’re going to go to doesn’t look friendly.”

 

“Hey, I thought you were the one so dead set on saving Cayde!” Echo exclaimed.

 

Lucy pulled out her gun, spinning it. “I am. I’m just warning you to be prepared.” She began walking forward, the only speck of white in the endless black.

 

Despite it looking far initially, it took little time for her to arrive. The black spires looked even more threatening up close, with points that could spear an unlucky soul. They clustered together like a demented forest, the path winding around in loops and zig zags to cut its way through.

 

“Get back, Echo,” Lucy murmured.

 

Echo was already teleporting away, and Lucy only heard her voice. “Don’t have to tell me twice.”

 

Slowly, she began walking forward, gun raised. A soft wind blew through the rocks, only adding to the creepy ambience. Tucking in any loose strands of hair under her hood, she pulled in her arms to prepare herself to fire her gun.

 

Only about thirty steps in, she noticed a faint orange light. Heart now in her throat, she shot behind a rock for cover, planting her back to it. Slowly, she leaned to peek at the scene.

 

She could spot a few Umbrati lying on the ground, curled up and asleep like cats. Not a single one even stirred at the flashing orange light accompanied by muffled grunts and groaning. At the spire they were all congregated at, a figure was tied to the base of it, shadowy tendrils looping around him and binding him tight. One made a bit gag in his mouth, nearly stifling the orange light that came out of his mouth every time he made a sound.

 

Lucy gasped, and covered her mouth. “Cayde.”

 

She wasted no time. Gun at her hip, she crept slowly over to the spire’s back. She made sure to be as quiet as possible. She dared to not wake a single one of the Umbrati, lest she die a gruesome death at the hands of their claws.

 

Once she got herself in a position she found to have the biggest advantage, she clapped a hand over Cayde’s mouth, practically making him almost faint from shock. “I need you to stay perfectly quiet after I untie you, and I need you to follow me.”

 

She could feel him nod quickly. He either was really happy to see her or hear her voice, or he just was getting anxious to get free.

 

Immediately, Lucy knelt down, releasing her hand. Pulling out the scythe, she positioned the stick and pressed the button to bring it out into its scythe form. The result of the blade shooting out sliced the tendrils clean in half.

 

 Before the tendrils fully faded into smoke, Cayde grabbed Lucy. She could feel his arms wrap around her and hold her extremely tightly. Was he shaking? It had to just be from the cold.

 

Lucy smiled. “You miss me?” She whispered.

 

“I thought I’ll never see you again,” he murmured quietly. “I thought you died.”

 

“I know.” Lucy patted Cayde’s shoulder. “I know, but we have to save this for later. Where’s Sundance?”

 

“...Cotton socks, one of them has her.” Cayde looked back.

 

Indeed, a small bead of red was in the hands of one of the sleeping Umbrati. The Ghost stared at both of them, obviously not knowing what to do and too scared to move.

 

Lucy bit her lip. “She can get out, but the Umbrati would feel her moving.”

 

“Umbrati?” Cayde looked confused. “That’s what these things are called? How cryptic.” He raised his hands. “Okay, okay. I got an idea, but I need to know if you know which way is out.”

 

“There’s a path going through this place.” Lucy pointed down the road in the direction she came from. “We take it, we’re back to my jumpship, and we can leave.”

 

“Alright. Get ready to run. I’m going to call Sundance to me, and that will probably wake them up, so we have to really hit the ground runnin’.”

 

“Wait, can we think of a Plan B?”

 

Cayde looked, Sundance forming in his outstretched hand. “What?”

 

Lucy only paused a second before turning and sprinting. Judging by the screeches of Umbrati accompanied by the screaming Cayde, they have definitely woken the Hive.

 

“Look, we’ll be in open territory for most of the run!” Lucy yelled. “We have to run fast, or we’ll be sitting ducks!”

 

“Could you have told me that before I got Sundance?!” Cayde screamed in return as they broke free from the cluster of rocks and into open grounds.

 

“You didn’t even give me a chance to speak!”

 

“Don’t put the blame on me!”

 

“I love you too, dear!”

 

About halfway back to her ship, Lucy whipped out her gun. Spinning on her heel, she swung her scythe behind her that successfully made a few Umbrati launch back, startled. She scored a few kills by shooting the dazed ones before they knew what to do. Jumping back from the ones more prepared to act, she gritted her teeth at the opposition of twenty or so Umbrati before them.

 

Cayde stopped. “Wait, are we fightin’? Are we?”

 

“We have to, or we’re not getting out of here with our souls intact!”

 

The Ace of Spades twirled its way into the Exo’s hand. “Yea! Yea, okay, we’re fightin’! Come at me!” Cue an Umbrati slamming into him from the side, sending him scrambling. “Aw, you’re kiddin _’_!”

 

Lucy looked as more Umbrati stacked on Cayde. “CAYDE!”

 

There was a growl next to her ear, and she turned, eyes widened. An Umbrati was right in her face, teeth bared. It was the last thing she saw before a slash across her face sent her vision swimming, making her fall to the ground.

 

She could feel pain all across her body from blunt forces. She repeatedly tried to get up, but failed, just getting hit back down again. Her eye wasn’t even good in this situation, as the overall darkness and aching head practically made her blind.

 

She thanked whatever god existed when hand cannon shots rang out. “Hands!” Bang. “Off!” Bang. “My!” Bang. “WIFE!”

 

One by one, she could see smoke from the Umbratis’ bodies crumbling away. Groaning, she spat blood onto the cobblestone of the path, then looked up, squinting.

 

Cayde was in an even worse condition than before. One optic flickered as his jaw was cracked on both sides. He walked with a limp as his left arm hung lifelessly. He dragged his injured leg along as he hobbled over to Lucy, who was getting up.

 

“By the Traveler, Cayde...” Lucy murmured, placing a hand on his cheek.

 

“Hey, stop worryin' about me. Worry about you!”

 

“I’m not the one struggling to stand!” Lucy reached to support Cayde.

 

“Wait, wait, wait-” Cayde yelped in pain when her arm fastened on his waist.

 

“God, you’re hurt everywhere!” Lucy moved her arm up, beginning to walk with him leaning on her for support. “How did you get so banged up in so little time?”

 

“Ask the things that nearly tore my throat out,” he responded. “But seriously. Are you okay?”

 

“Yea.”

 

“I just don’t want to lose you.” Cayde paused, as if thinking about his next word. “Again.”

 

Lucy stared down at the path, smiling. “Same here.”

 

The trip back was thankfully peaceful. As Echo and Sundance healed Lucy and Cayde, Sundance fumbling a bit in the beginning, not a single Umbrati was in sight. While it was strange, it was also welcome, even after both of them recovered fully and were ready for a fight.

 

Once they were on Lucy’s ship, she immediately moved to turn back on the prototype device. “Alright. We’re getting out of here and to home.”

 

“Home...” Cayde chuckled. “I haven’t heard that in a while, y’know?”

 

Lucy pulled the ship’s controls up, and it began to fly. “You’ve been...gone a while.”

 

Cayde moved close to Lucy. “Lucy...how are you alive? I saw you die.”

 

“That’s what I was afraid to tell you,” she responded. “That Lucy is dead. Because I’m a different Lucy.”

 

“What? What do you mean? Of course you’re Lucy.”

 

“No. Different realities of us exist. There’s so many of them, they’re practically infinite. We both come from different timelines. In my reality, you died at the hands of Uldren Sov.”

 

“And...you died by him in my timeline,” Cayde added. “So...That Lucy still is dead.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Immediately, the Exo kissed the top of her head. “Don’t be.”

 

Lucy couldn’t stop herself. Spinning around, she grabbed Cayde and pulled him into a kiss. He returned it eagerly, and soon, both of them had their arms around each other as the ship shook, lips pressed against faceplates.

 

Cayde pulled back once he saw Lucy crying. “Don’t cry, love.” He gently wiped them away. “You’re still Lucy.”

 

“And you’re still Cayde. I just...missed you so much.” Lucy moved to wipe her tears.

 

“And I missed you, too.” Cayde framed her face with his gloved hands. “I missed you so, so much. I died a thousand times daily because you weren’t there. I broke out of an entire castle against impossible odds to try and tail it back to you.” He laughed. “Sometimes, it was hard to even crack a joke.”

 

Lucy giggled at that. “Who are you and what have you done with the real Cayde?”

 

“I bet he’s in heaven right now, with his sweet angel.”

 

“I think I already knew that.” Lucy kissed Cayde’s horn. “I missed you so much, and I don’t think you understand that.”

 

“Hey, I suffered through the same pain, too. Don’t try and say I can’t understand, okay?” He let a teasing tone slip into his last sentence.

 

Lucy laughed. “Okay.” She patted his shoulder, but stopped when he flinched. “Are you okay?”

 

“I don’t know. I think? Sundance, check for injuries.”

 

Sundance sighed. “They altered your body. I don’t know how I didn’t see it initially, but I bet if you take off your shirt, you’ll see some damage.”

 

Cayde only paused a moment before beginning to strip down. Lucy helped him out of his shirt when he had trouble, grunting in pain. However, she froze when they finished, leaving him in only his pants and boots. Her fingers lingered on his chest.

 

“Oh my god.” Lucy lightly traced one of the many crude weld marks on his body, and he winced. “Oh my god, what did they do to you?”

 

“Tortured me, I think. But I don’t remember it.” Quickly, he began to pull back on his outfit. “I don’t like lookin _’_ at them.”

 

“Please get that checked out.”

 

“I’ll see about that.”

 

Once the ship landed in the hangar at sunset, Zavala began walking to it, with Ikora tailing behind him. He opened his mouth to tell off Lucy when the hatch opened, but all words died the moment Cayde and Lucy walked out with their fingers entwined.

 

“C...Cayde?” Zavala stammered, eyes going wide. “You’re...alive?”

 

“Oh, no. I’m a ghost of vengeance sent to haunt you, because you’re such a stuck-up.” Cayde laughed, and spread his arms out. “So, you want a hug, or what?”

 

Surprising everyone, Zavala did so. He pulled Cayde into a hug, probably the first time he’s ever done so. Even Cayde himself was shocked, and he looked at Lucy, his face resembling that of a fish’s.

 

Lucy smiled. “See, Commander? I wasn’t wrong, after all.”

 

Ikora wiped the tears from her face. “No. You weren’t wrong at all, Lucy.”

 

Cayde looked up. “Oh, hey. Is the Vanguard spot still open? Or did my wife take it? Please tell me she actually abided by my will.”

 

“Your will was a set of caches on another planet,” Lucy joked. “And yes. I’m the fifth Hunter Vanguard.”

 

Cayde immediately went to Lucy’s side. “Yes!” He grabbed her face and kissed her cheek. “Muah! Oh, I’m so proud of you, Pinky! You’re amazin _’_!”

 

She blushed, rubbing her cheek. “Well, it was your will. I had to abide by it.”

 

Cayde gestured around. “So, uh...I got the basic rundown on the way here. We’re in an Alliance now, right? With a lot of colorful characters.”

 

Lucy made an idle gesture. “And a suitor for Zavala.”

 

The Exo spun on his heel, raising a finger. “Did I hear that right?”

 

“The Commander is crushing on somebody. One of the new guys.”

 

“You had me at crush.” He slowly turned. “Are you telling me the big, cold, brave, rigid Zavala...has a high school crush?”

 

“I have no crush.”

 

“The existence of Takashi Shirogane says another thing!” Lucy declared.

 

“Okay, so I have to look out for a Takashi and congratulate him slash her for warmin _’_ an ice cold heart. I’ll put that on the bucket list!” Cayde rubbed his hands together. “Now! Where’s the little diamond?”

 

“Station, with another Talli from the future.” Lucy pointed finger guns forward in the direction of the Hunter Vanguard station.

 

“So I got two diamonds?” Cayde cheered. “Even better!” He began running off. “DIAMOND OOOOONE~! DIAMOND TWOOOOOO~!”

 

Lucy laughed and followed. “Hey, don’t attract a crowd! You’ll have a whole trail of Guardians after you!”

 

Exactly that happened, along with Cayde being hugged tightly by Carla and on the leg by Talli. Both girls held him tight as Guardians successfully dog piled on him, making a mess of a greeting.

 

“What a welcome back!” Cayde cheered as he was pulled out by Carla. “Hey, diamond. Diamond Two. Oh my god, I got two diamonds. What a greetin'.”

 

“Dad...” Carla smiled with tears visible. “I can’t believe it.”

 

“I can’t believe it either. I hunt for Uldren, I get consumed by darkness, I end up in a weird bubble, it gets popped, I skidaddle, and then I get caught again. I’ve had a rough few days.”

 

“Consumed by darkness...Wait, did Mom die in your timeline?”

 

“Uh...Yea. Why?”

 

“I think you’re...from my timeline. Twenty years ago. You’re my Cayde. You’re...” Carla began to hiccup again. “You’re my dad.”

 

Cayde took this as an opportunity to joke. “Oh, wow. Twenty years. In a bubble. That’s one way to waste your life.” When Carla only started crying, he pulled her into a gentle hug. “Okay, come on. Let it out, diamond. Come on. It’s okay.”

 

Dynamo watched the events with an interested expression. “He seems crazy.”

 

Cedar sighed, lowering the rifle he was cleaning. “Dynamo, no.”

 

“Too late. I’m already intrigued.” Dynamo hopped off the box he was sitting on.

 

“Dynamo, I said no! You can’t just walk up to people and talk crazy!”

 

“I’m doing it and you can’t stop me, mi amor!”

 

“DYNAMO!”


	4. Cloning Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Corrin  
> -Lumine  
> -Azura  
> -Kana  
> -Elizabeth  
> -Fox  
> -Shadow Queen  
> -Kamui  
> -Mirage  
> -Zeta
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Fox tries his hand at harnessing draconic power once again.

“Lumine, I’m pregnant.”

 

When the New Gen heard those words, he almost completely shut down. Nearly dropping the crown he had been rubbing clean, he turned to look at Corrin smiling warmly at him, hands clasped before her. In a hand, he noticed a pink stick that only meant one thing.

 

His eyes were bug-wide, mouth slightly parted. “...Y-You mean...the Nohrian tome worked?” He stuttered.

 

Corrin giggled. “Even I was skeptical. Nohrian mages are talented, but I didn't know they were talented enough to make an authentic spell that could allow a Reploid and an organic to have children!”

 

“I...I...” Lumine laughed a little. “I’m going to be a father. I’m going to be a father, right?” His voice trembled, and his eyes watered.

 

“Are you crying?” Corrin wiped Lumine’s cheek. “Come on. Don’t cry. Really!”

 

“I’m just so happy...We’re going to have a child, Corrin!”

 

“It’s going to be wonderful.” She hugged Lumine, who was about to sob his heart out. “I already know it.”

 

The two had ruled Valla for about a year together at that point, and only thought about kids then. They seemed to simultaneously agree that an heir was needed. Plus, Corrin found it funny and charming how Lumine got really excited when talking about the prospect of children.

 

They didn’t plan for twins, however. When the bump became more noticable, Lumine kept musing how it was quite big for a child. At that, it hit him like a truck, and he promptly fainted, leaving Corrin’s questions unanswered until he woke up and stammered that they were having more than one.

 

The actual birth was hard, too. It was impossible to tell which person was more stressed, Lumine or Corrin. Azura tried to double-task in calmly trying to relieve their stress, but looking back, she should have probably just left them alone.

 

Once the babies were born, Lumine had to be most emotional he ever was in his entire life, even more than when Corrin said yes to his marriage proposal. He swore a thousand times to protect the twins with his life. Corrin simply just told him to calm down, much more calmer or just tired in comparison. That just made him hyperventilate into a paper bag, stressing him out even more.

 

What built up over the years were happy memories of the twins Kana and Elizabeth. There were also a few sad ones, like the loss of friends when they moved away to other worlds entirely, and ones that Lumine preferred to forget. However, not one thing changed: the two’s tough love for each other. And the toughness came in spades.

 

“Mamaaaaa! Papaaaa! Kana’s touching meee!”

 

“Am not!”

 

“Am too!”

 

Lumine, half-asleep, watched his twin children fight with a raised eyebrow. “Elizabeth. Kana is not touching you.”

 

“Yes, he is!” Elizabeth had a finger pointing at Kana. “He’s touching my finger!”

 

Kana stepped away at that. “Well, now I’m not!”

 

“You just were touching me!”

 

Lumine sighed, rolling his eyes. “Come on, children. Stop fighting.”

 

“He started it!” Elizabeth immediately claimed.

 

Kana scowled. “I so did not! She’s making stuff up, Papa!”

 

“No, I am not!”

 

Lumine was about to raise his voice, taking in a breath when a much more calmer voice broke in. “Kana. Elizabeth.” He almost sighed in relief when his wife began walking up, cloaked in a white and blue gown of Vallian royalty. “What’s going on here?”

 

“Kana’s touching me!”

 

Corrin smiled. “Kana? Are you touching her?”

 

“Nuh-uh.”

 

“Elizabeth, are you lying?”

 

“Nuh-uh!”

 

Corrin faked an angry expression, placing her hands on her hips. “Well, clearly, one of you is lying. And if you don’t fess up when I count to three, neither of you will have dessert tonight.”

 

Immediately, both kids raised their arm and directed it to Elizabeth. They stared up at their mother with wide bug eyes, shocked at such a threat. All she did was laugh warmly in return.

 

“Elizabeth, what do you say to Kana?” She asked.

 

“Sorry...” The older twin scuffed her feet.

 

Kana pouted, stamping his feet as he put his hands on his hips. “You’re lucky I’m going to accept that apology!”

 

“Kana...” Corrin sternly warned, raising a finger.

 

“Sorry, Mama!” The younger brother cleared his throat. “Elizabeth, I accept your apology!”

 

That made Corrin smile. “Good. Now, you two can go off and play with Aunt Azura.”

 

“Yay!” Both began skipping off, the argument now completely past them. “Aunt Azura! Aunt Azura!”

 

As the two little children slipped through a door and left the throne room, Lumine walked over to Corrin. He placed an arm on her waist, and held her hand with his other arm. “You have an amazing way with kids.”

 

“You seem wound up,” she returned, now frowning.

 

Lumine sighed. “Well, now we’re in another war after five years of peace. And once more, Fox is behind it. But now, it’s on a much more universal scale. The Alliance-Umbra War could destroy entire civilizations.”

 

“Lumine, the Alliance is capable of taking down Fox,” Corrin reassured him. “We fought against all odds and did it before. We can do it again.”

 

“Back then, Fox didn’t have the entire core of darkness on his side.” The king of Valla ran a hand through his hair. “I just was getting used to being king. Now, I may have to return to my position on the field.” He gave a dry chuckle at the thought. “I haven’t used my staff or my elemental crystals in years. I should probably make sure they still work.”

 

Corrin gently took his metal hands in her own. “You don’t have to take up arms. You just need to stay in your position on the Alliance council. We’ll only fight if we have to, and I don’t think something like that will happen.”

 

He sighed. “Don’t curse it.”

 

“I’m serious! We have very capable allies on our side. This time, we can’t be manipulated into fighting each other. We have no reason to distrust any of our own.”

 

Lumine hummed thoughtfully, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “You have a good point, love.”

 

“I hope you understand why I have no fear.” Corrin placed a hand on Lumine’s chest. “Trust me. This war will be over before any of us know it.”

 

“That would be a lovable outcome,” he purred in return, nuzzling her neck.

 

She laughed, petting his head. “One we must strive for.”

 

Lumine kissed her once more. “I like that goal in mind.” He released her from his embrace and stepped back a bit. “Though while I like our moments together, as a representative of Valla, I have to organize my notes for the next council meeting.”

 

“Oh, yes. The council. How is that faring?”

 

“Surprisingly well. Nobody seems to be at each other’s throats yet. A rarity when it comes to politics and war.” Lumine let himself laugh at his own joke.

 

Corrin giggled herself. “Well, you go do that. I’ll keep an eye on our kingdom and children.”

 

“Thank you.” Lumine turned and walked away.

 

Corrin stood alone in the room for a few moments, the smile still softly lingering on her face. It continued to stay as she herself headed over to the exit.

 

As she placed her hand on it, she noticed the room had gotten a bit darker. “Hm? Did a light go out?” She mused.

 

She looked up and around for the burnt-out torch. However, she saw that they all were still lit. Not only that, but it was still getting darker by the second, almost blinding Corrin with the darkness.

 

“What is this?” She questioned. “Nohrian magic? Or any kind of magic?” After a moment of thinking, she froze. “Or...the magic from that Umbra Mondo I’ve heard about?”

 

Before she could move, something darted by her. She could feel a sharp blade dig into her shoulder, and she screamed as blood flew.

 

A cold hand pressed onto the wound and seemed to almost paw at it. Corrin was absolutely frozen, pale in the face out of both the chill in the air and the fear clenching onto her chest and limiting her breathing.

 

“CORRIN!”

 

A great blast of electricity soared by her head, and struck her attacker square in the forehead. They went flying from the force, and made a dent in the castle wall from slamming into it.

 

Corrin placed a hand on her shoulder now smeared with her own blood as her husband ran up to her. His staff was in one hand, and his crystals orbited in a circular motion, hovering above his other palm. “Dear, are you alright?!”

 

“I don’t know. I was just...struck out of the blue!”

 

Lumine motioned Corrin to stay close to him. “There may be more. Stay close to me, Corrin.”

 

None came. The room lightened up, the intruding shadows fading to return the natural light. Both royals now stood alone in the throne room, the lingering hint of being on edge weighing deep.

 

Once Lumine made sure they were now alone again, he turned to Corrin. “What exactly happened?”

 

“I don’t know,” Corrin admitted. “I was leaving when the room darkened. Before I could figure out what was happening, I was attacked.”

 

“The shadows and darkness are a dead giveaway to me,” Lumine muttered with an angry tone. “That was an Umbrati.”

 

“Then that means either Fox or the Queen sent them.”

 

“...Can I see that scratch?” Lumine held his hand out.

 

“Of course.” Corrin placed her arm in his hand.

 

The ex-architect inspected the wound. It was deep, enough to draw plenty of blood, but not nearly enough to be an attempt on Corrin’s life. The Umbrati had smeared her blood against the wound and its area while grabbing at it. The question was why it did that.

 

“It looks barely fatal. Regardless, I recommend to clean it up and bandage it.” Lumine released her arm.

 

Corrin nodded. “Do you have an idea what was the cause of the attack? They obviously weren’t aiming to kill me.”

 

“I think they either wanted you or this.” Lumine raised a hand now gently dabbed with Corrin’s blood.

 

“What would they want with my blood?”

 

“I doubt we’ll figure out the answer.”

 

Little more was spoken after that. Corrin made her way to the infirmary to be fussed over by her retainers. Meanwhile, Lumine returned to to his study to not only plan the next topics of the meeting, but to ponder the meaning of the attack.

 

The Umbrati lived from Lumine’s attack. However, an Umbrati’s death is ready to fake. Just a smoke manipulation spell combined with teleportation can mimic a body fading to return to darkness, easy.

 

As they began to return to the Umbra Mondo, in their hand, they clutched a torn piece of cloth, now having red splotches on it. They checked to make sure it was still there before vanishing from the realms of balance entirely.

 

When they opened their eyes of yellow voids, they stood in a dark room. Numerous notes and folders piled onto one desk in the corner. In the center of the room was a lone stone pedestal, with the presence of a black and purple book.

 

The Umbrati expected the book. It was of black binding and borders on the cover. In the center was emblazed an intricate symbol. It was a twisting, thick line with an orb of gold at the head, and a green gem in the middle of a circle made by the line. It seemed to form a quarter note from music sheets.

 

“Step away from that.”

 

Immediately, the Umbrati did so. Armored bootsteps walked forward in a poised and precise manner. As a red cape dragged ever so slightly on the ground, Fox walked forward, hands clasped behind his back.

 

“You should be lucky you are important,” he snapped, opening the book. “I need what you have.” He snatched the cloth from the Umbrati. “Give word to the Queen I have prepared a gift for her.”

 

The creature of darkness immediately dissappeared into darkness, flowing away in the shadows like a soft tide. Besides the black candles lit by purple flames, Fox became the only life in the room.

 

Fox neatly folded the cloth, and his tone suddenly became much more warmer and friendly. “I’m happy that you stole this book from that kingdom.”

 

The wind whistled slightly, another presence now there. “I didn’t steal it, Fox. You were there.”

 

“You threatened the queen of Gristonne to hand it over.”

 

The Shadow Queen walked forward. “That was Ciar.”

 

“Do not blame your actions on the voice in your head.”

 

“He is no mere voice. He is the ancestor that my Umbrati blood hails from.” The queen looked at the bloodied cloth. “What are you doing?”

 

“I had an Umbrati draw blood from a half-dragon organism. I plan to test a spell I found in the Lore Book.”

 

The Shadow Queen took a glance at the current page. “Blood Clone?” She chuckled. “Oh, Fox.”

 

“Be a dear and help me out, will you?”

 

The queen said nothing, but she directed her hand to the ground behind the pedestal and snapped a finger. As purple chalk began to appear on the black stone, the candles around the room vanished in black smoke, only to resposition themselves around the circle.

 

Fox smiled, watching the ruins be written in the circle. “Thank you.”

 

Soon, only a small spot remained, in the center of the circle. Fox knelt down and placed the neatly-folded cloth into the small gap in the chalk inscriptions.

 

The Shadow Queen placed her hands together before her face. “Shall I?”

 

“No. I wish to do this myself.” Fox placed his arms in the same position and closed his eyes.

 

For a few moments, nothing happened. A lone wind going throughout the room seemed to accelerate, but it was merely a passing breeze. Fox didn’t move at all, instead trying to concentrate.

 

The Shadow Queen smiled. “Fox, maybe-”

 

The circle exploded in a purple light. While Fox remained stoic, the Queen stumbled back, covering her eyes. The wind became a torrent, nearly blowing both off their feet. The candles went out abruptly just before light completely blinded them both.

 

When the ringing in their ears faded, they could hear a boy’s voice. “Hello? Are you two alright?”

 

Slowly, both removed their arms. They blinked a few times to remove the spots swimming in their vision, trying to focus. When they could at least partially see, they looked forward at the origin of the voice.

 

A boy stood there, just about Fox’s height. His cream-colored hair went all over the place, going up in spikes. His red eyes held childlike curiousity, staring ahead and looking at them both. However, he was clothed in nothing but white shorts, something he seemed to not care about entirely, preferring to confirm the healthy condition of his apparent creators.

 

“Er...to be honest, I don’t know what’s happening, but...I just want to make sure that you two are okay.”

 

The Shadow Queen couldn’t stop a smile spreading on her face. “Fox, you did it!”

 

“I...I did.” Fox laughed, and it was a genuine laugh. “I actually did it!”

 

“Um...” Both looked back at the boy. “So you two are okay?”

 

“Are you the blood clone?” The Shadow Queen questioned.

 

“The huh? I just don’t remember anything beyond waking up here with you two. That being said, who am I?”

 

Fox simply answered, “It is.”

 

“Hello, there!” The Shadow Queen smiled. “I’m the queen of the Umbra Mondo. I’m just referred to as the Shadow Queen.”

 

“So, you don’t have a name, either?” He questioned.

 

“Oh, I do. I just prefer only my most trusted friends know it.” She frowned, furrowing her brow. “You, however...don’t have a name at all.”

 

The boy mimicked her scowl. “Yes. I guess that is bad.”

 

Fox joined in on grimacing. “I expected a perfect clone. Not...a male counterpart.”

 

He got an elbow in the side by the Shadow Queen for that, though it was gentle and more on the playful side. “Be nice to him!” She returned to smiling at the confused boy before them both. “Then I guess first things first. We must give you clothes and a name. Does that sound good to you?”

 

“Yea.” He shivered, hugging his bare body. “The draft in here is really getting to me.”

 

At that, black smoke wrapped around him like a cocoon. When it dropped away to evaporate on the ground, a thick, fluffy blank of an ebony black color with white trimming was wrapped around his body. He sniffed it, and could place the smell as one of belonging to an untouched field.

 

The Queen smiled at his content expression. “I hope the blanket helps stave off the cold.” She giggled a bit nervously. “I’m sorry about the low temperature. The Umbra Mondo isn’t naturally warm.”

 

“It’s okay,” the boy replied. “It didn’t bother me that much, but the blanket is still a nice gesture.”

 

Fox sighed. “I had made an outfit, but I expected a female to be made. Not only does this throw a wrench in the plans I had for it, I’m not a tailor per say.”

 

“Then commission a new one!” The queen proclaimed. “He can’t just walk around with no outfit at all.”

 

The Reploid scoffed. “Yes, yes. I’ll get right on that. Just make sure it doesn’t get itself lost.”

 

“I’ll arrange him a room to stay in,” the Shadow Queen replied, taking the clone’s bare hand in her armored one. “Come on! Let’s not linger here!”

 

“Okay, your Highness!” The boy scampered after, the cloak dragging on the ground with him.

 

Fox watched them go, arms crossed. While he didn’t move at first, he didn’t stay long, and moved to return to his own quarters. His original plans have been thrown out the window, yes. But a soldier that can morph into a dragon can still be made useful.

 

Both the queen and the boy navigated down the blackened hall. His pointy ears twitched every now and then, and his eyes darted around out of curiosity. The inhabitants of the hall were Umbrati, all armored in identical outfits of black and purple metal. He quickly looked away when they stared back at him.

 

The Shadow Queen waved the onlookers away. “Come on, now! You’re scaring him!” She called, making the Umbrati quickly return to what they were just doing.

 

“Who are these people?” The boy asked as they turned a corner.

 

“The inhabitants of the Umbra Mondo, of course. They’re called Umbrati!”

 

“Umbrati...” He mused, watching them go by past him.

 

He stopped when he bumped into the Shadow Queen, who had abruptly stopped. “Here we are!” She looked up at a door. “This is the armory. We can put some temporary clothes on you until Fox retrieves more permanent wear.” She looked at the boy. “Is that alright with you?”

 

“Y...Yes. Just fine.”

 

Both entered, and the room grew a bit warmer. However, the boy still kept on the blanket around him, finding himself still a little chilly without it.

 

The armory was filled with the armor and weapons he had seen on the way there. Most of the weapons were standard lances and swords. However, he noticed a few axes and bows, even the rare dagger set.

 

“You can choose whatever you wish,” the Shadow Queen stated, already beginning to leave. “Then, you might as well travel the castle a bit to get used to it.”

 

“Huh?” The boy looked. “Where are you going?”

 

“I’m the queen of the entire existence of darkness!” She replied. “I do have my duties elsewhere. Are you okay with that?”

 

“Oh. Yes! I’m perfectly fine!”

 

The woman gave a lingering smile before exiting. The door closed behind her, and left the boy all alone and partially naked in the armory. After thanking the gods that there wasn’t anyone else in the armory, he set aside the blanket neatly and got to work.

 

No sane person just slaps armor onto their bare skin and expect that it would work well. It would possibly scrape and tear the skin, at best causing discomfort, at worst making dangerous and bloody injuries. So, the boy slipped on a long-sleeved shirt and pants of a normal, beige color, before looking at any armor sets.

 

They seemed to be specialized for specific fighters. He could tell which ones leaned more towards flight and agility by a glance, and it wasn’t hard to find the bulky armor for the more defensive ones. He merely wished to find a balance between the two, which meant your normal Joe armor.

 

He was surprised that he was of smaller stature than most Umbrati. A lot of the armor on the stands was a size or two too large for him. The helmets wobbled constantly or slanted on his head, and whenever he tried on a glove, he found it loose and easy to fall off, even after attempting to strap it on.

 

Finally, he found a set that fit his body, not perfectly, but well enough. It seemed to lean more on the agile side, but it still had its defense. However, he was bugged about the visor on the helmet with black ivory designs. It didn’t go up, and it blocked a lot of his vision, which very much annoyed him.

 

As he pulled it off to hold it under his arm, he looked up at a voice. “Getting comfortable, Kamui?”

 

The boy looked to see Fox. “Huh?”

 

“Kamui. That’s the name I was going to title you.”

 

He frowned. “Kamui...It doesn’t really sound...”

 

“It’s your name, and nothing you can do will change that,” Fox snapped in return, arms crossed. “Now, if you are done getting dressed, I have a task for you.”

 

“Do I have a say in the matter?” Kamui asked in a curious tone.

 

“Let me put it this way,” Fox snarked in return. “You have no power in our little hierarchy. You are the slave, I am the master.”

 

Kamui sighed. “What do I need to do?”

 

“It’s nothing that involves fighting. I merely wish for you to scout enemy territory. Umbrati cannot do it, due to the territory being so close to a radiant source of light.” Fox chuckled. “You know how light and darkness clash, don’t you?”

 

“I do.”

 

“The last time we sent Umbrati to that place, they all perished, and the Queen has been livid at the light since.” Fox began walking away. “Regardless, you should arm yourself in case of an emergency. Also, make sure to grab one of those.” He gestured in a lazy manner to a small row of stones of various colors and sizes.

 

Kamui walked over, doing so as he picked up a blue rock with the edges chipped and broken. “Where exactly am I going?”

 

“Enter the timeline that most Umbrati do, and make your way to the large orb in the sky. You can figure it out from there.” The Reploid slammed the large doors behind him, making Kamui jump a bit.

 

Kamui. For some reason, he didn't like that name at all. But it was his, and there was nothing he can do about it. All he could really do was carry out the orders given to him.

 

He didn’t have a weapon, so he looked over at that area in the armory. They all didn’t seem to be out of the ordinary. Normal swords, lances, axes, bows...none of them really caught his fancy.

 

However, he found himself drawn to swords the most. He drew one out of a velvet scabbard and investigated its curved form and ebony black blade. Compared to the other blades, it was normal, even smaller than most of the weapons. But he found he could spin and stab without problem after a few test swings, and found himself clipping the scabbard to his side and sheathing the sword in it.

 

Once more, he stepped out into the hall and looked around. He would ask for directions, but the Umbrati all around him spoke a language he was unfamiliar with. He doubted any of them spoke English, so he attempted to follow the crowd, hoping that would get him somewhere.

 

“Kamui, right?” An unfamiliar voice called, startling him.

 

He spun around, white locks bouncing. There, a man in mostly blue, with even his eyes glowing blue, stood, watching him. “Uh...Yes. That’s me.”

 

Despite his almost demonic appearance, the man wasted no time in sticking out a hand of friendship. “My name is Mirage. I’m one of the Shadow Queen’s elite.”

 

Kamui shook it. “Kamui. But I guess you knew that already.” He looked around. “Hey, uh...How do you enter the timelines?”

 

“You’re leaving already?” Mirage questioned. “But I heard you were just created!”

 

“It’s what Fox told me to do, and I can’t argue. I’m the slave, he’s the master. You know?”

 

He chuckled at that. “I guess that is true.” He gestured down the hall just to the right of them. “The Umbrati have a system of portals that help them travel in and out of the timelines. Just take a left when you’re at the big doors.”

 

“Got it. Thank you.” Kamui placed on the helmet, obscuring his eyes and hair, but leaving his nose and mouth to poke out.

 

“Keep safe,” Mirage warned. “Enemy territory is filled with all kinds of dangers.”

 

“I will!” Kamui ran off, going down the hall Mirage directed him to.

 

From there, it was quite easy to discern where he was going to. He had entered a room that Umbrati drifted in and out of, growling at each other in their unknown, feral language. It was wide and expansive, and numerous parts of the walls rippled, swirling violet and black.

 

Most Umbrati were focused on a small set of portals, seeming to be the target for most of their duties. Kamui idly wondered why that “timeline” was such a threat to the Umbra Mondo, or why it was the basis for most of their missions.

 

Despite the large crowd, it was easy for Kamui to push through. Nobody paid him any mind, though a few glanced again at him. Maybe it was because his skin was a peach color while there’s was a deep purple mixed with black.

 

Soon, he was at the front, facing the ripples in the wall. At this point, a small pit of worry has buried into the back of his stomach. What exactly was he looking for, and what would happen if he failed? He had been given a very thin rundown, so failure to doing the task could very much happen.

 

Still, it wasn’t like he could back out of it. It was an order, after all. Plus, he had no idea where Fox was to question him more about what he was supposed to do. Wandering aimlessly could take away a lot of valuable time.

 

Slowly, he stepped forward, placing a hand on the shimmering light. When it phased through, he found himself walking forward to pass through. It was a weird tingling feeling all across his body that vanished as soon as he emerged.

 

He immediately raised a hand to shield his eyes. Even with a helmet, the sun’s rays caught him off guard, almost blinding him in an instant. A jarring change from the darkness of the Umbra Mondo, he immediately looked down to hide his face.

 

The area he stood in seemed to be a makeshift camp. Black and purple tarps signaled to him they were of the Umbra Mondo’s. This must be an outpost placed for scouting, he theorized.

 

Finally, his eyes adjusted, and he looked back up. He stared across the expansive, lifeless grounds, full of ruins of civilization. Faintly, off into the distance, he could see a large orb hovering in the air, peeking over the horizon as if to stare at him.

 

“Is that where Fox wants me to go...?” Kamui wondered as he frowned. “Looks really far away...” He sighed, beginning to walk forward. “I guess I should get a move on, then.”

 

Objects are always farther than the eye perceives them. What Kamui expected to be a few hours dragged on immensely. Walking soon proved to be aching and a chore.

 

What was worse was the constant feeling of being watched. Kamui kept looking over his shoulder, but nobody was there. He could swear that some spirit was lingering over his shoulder, at this point.

 

“Hello!”

 

He shrieked, and immediately drew his sword. Lifting it up, he pointed it at the face that was now in front of him.

 

It was a young woman, probably in her early twenties or so. The almond-shaped eyes staring at him were a crystal magenta or somewhere along that line. Her blond hair had a small braid just in front of her left ear. She was clothed entirely in a magician’s outfit, complete with a hat in her hand.

 

Her eyes trailed to the sword, and she sighed. “Are we gonna fight?”

 

“Depends. Are you here to fight?”

 

She tapped her chin in thought. “Well, let me think. I was sent by my master to look upon the new and recently-established Alliance at the Tower. He also told me to kill any opposition.”

 

Kamui growled. “So, that’s a yes.”

 

“I guess it does!” On cue, a slew of playing cards materialized out of thin air and into her hand. “That means I need to kick your butt!” She dropped delicately to the ground, placing her hat on her head.

 

“Not if I kick yours, first!” He growled back, eyes flaming red under his helmet.

 

“My name’s Zeta, by the way. Nice to meet you!”

 

“Um...Kamui. Nice to...meet you, too.”


	5. My Own Path

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Lynaria  
> -Zeta  
> -Drakath Slugwrath  
> -Kamui  
> -Takumi
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Even the blackest of chaos can love a person.

Lynaria wasn’t very special in any way. Yes, she could summon wings on her back and remove them at a mere thought. And she was very good with the art of katana. But there were plenty more powerful chaorrupted creatures, whether they be humane like her or animalistic like the majority of Drakath’s army.

 

So that’s why she was surprised she was called in by him to perform a rescue mission.

 

Lynaria stood before the mighty throne on Mount Doomskull, looking at the man sitting in it. “You wish for me to investigate a missing soldier?”

 

Drakath's eyes stared through her’s. “Not just any of our missing soldiers. Zeta.”

 

Zeta. The woman that loved to make everything a game, and took nothing seriously. Magician motifs were practically her thing, and you could tell that she was somewhere if a card was placed in some random position.

 

What’s worse, she viewed Lynaria as a “friend” and never left her alone. How pathetic. Friends was a strong word. More allies. And even then, Lynaria did not work with her often. Zeta usually was with the much more powerful people in Drakath’s army.

 

“So, you're telling me one of the most powerful members of your army is missing, and you want me to find her?” The blue-haired woman questioned.

 

“You are her...friend,” Drakath clarified. “And I do not believe she is in danger. She is most likely ignoring her job and instead making friends with the enemy.”

 

Lynaria sighed. “Yes, that sounds like her.”

 

“I merely only want you to find her and push her into actually doing the objective I gave her. If she actually is injured, missing, or dead, you can come back straight away to tell me.”

 

“So, this is less rescue, more scouting?” Lynaria guessed.

 

“I can presume you can put it like that.”

 

She sighed. “Can’t remember the last time you put me on a mission that had anything to do with risk-taking...”

 

Drakath scoffed. “You are merely not powerful enough to do such things.” He waved his hand. “Now, go. Time is ticking.”

 

“Of course, Lord Drakath.” Lynaria bowed as she shimmered purple, wings that seemed similar to a dragon’s forming out of her back. “I’ll make haste to Zeta’s last known position.”

 

Lynaria knew she was far from powerful. Drakath spoke of it commonly, using it as a very valid excuse to keep her away from the fight and under his wing. She didn’t blame him, but wondered why he sheltered her so much. She would have no room to grow in the small cage he has made for her in his mind.

 

Once she lept off the rocks of Mount Doomskull, her wings unfurled from their resting positions. Straightening into the clear sky, she used them to shoot off, destination in mind.

 

The Tower. Zeta was sent there for scouting. No doubt she’s been doing anything but scouting, Lynaria noted with a dry tone in the back of her head.

 

Travelling to the Tower was simple enough. A simple wave her hand that glowed purple, and she felt herself teleport away with a small tug on her chest. Her vision went up in purple just for a second, and when it faded, instead of a treachorous mountain, she found herself flying over a lifeless, barren land.

 

Slowly, she descended to the ground. It would be better to stay low to the ground and prevent any stray eyes from spotting her. A woman in purple with wings was bound to be reported to any commander or law enforcement.

 

Once Lynaria’s feet hit the ground, her wings vanished. They left no trace as she stood up, precise green eyes surveying the land.

 

Derelict cars were everywhere, and so were calcifying skeletons. But none of them even related to what she wanted.

 

She wiped a hand on a car hood. Lack of dust. It means either somebody was here, or it’s very windy. She paused to observe. No, not even a breeze. It was the former.

 

She looked to the ground, then raised an eyebrow. Indents from what had to be large claws from some animal littered the ground, making pawprints. Right next to those prints, an occasional purple flower was growing.

 

Lynaria plucked one from the ground and investigated. Dark purple petals, thorny steam, sharp leaves, and an eye in the center, blinking and staring at her? Chaorruption, no doubt about it.

 

That means that either Zeta was tailing a creature, it was tailing her, or they were going side by side somewhere. The questions were, which theory was correct, to where were they going, and why? She began to press forward, looking everywhere. She would obtain no answers from standing around.

 

More and more glaring observations met her eyes as she went forward. Cars were indented from recent blows, and scratch marks clawed at everything in sight. Stray cards littered the ground, both tarot and playing. Zeta’s two favorite types.

 

There was definitely a fight. But what fought with Zeta? Lynaria had never seen anything like this up until this point.

 

Finally, Lynaria stopped. Her eyes went wide, and all questions flew out the window. Only one remained.

 

“Zeta, why are you having a picnic?”

 

The magician-based woman sat criss-cross on the hood of a car. Under her was a neat black and white checkered blanket. In her hand was a sandwich half-eaten.

 

What baffled Lynaria most was the boy with her, with his helmet next to his leg. He looked injured, yes, but the injuries were almost completely patched up with gauze and bandages. And he was eating a sandwich, too.

 

“Hi, Lynnie!” Zeta waved without a care in the world. “Meet Kamui!”

 

“Um...Hi.” He waved in an almost nervous manner.

 

“He got sent to scout this place, like we did!” 

 

Lynaria scowled. “Excuse me?”

 

“Of course, I only learned that after I beat the crap outta him.”

 

“You...” It clicked in Lynaria’s head. “Wait! Were the claw marks and indents in the ground...?”

 

Kamui smiled. “Those were me. Sorry. I haven’t really grasped going dragon, yet.”

 

“Going-Excuse me?!”

 

Zeta only laughed at Lynaria’s baffled expression. “Hey, he doesn’t know himself! He just got slapped in some armor and sent out to do his master’s work! He has no memories beyond being created by two emos!”

 

“Hey! The Shadow Queen and Fox aren’t emos!” Kamui snapped back.

 

“The Shadow Queen?” Lynaria asked. “Then you’re with those Umbrati people.”

 

“Huh? I am?”

 

“You’re saying that like you don’t know!”

 

“Well, I really don’t know, Miss...”

 

“Lynaria,” she firmly informed him.

 

“I really don’t know, Miss Lynaria!”

 

Zeta raised up her hands, seeing the tension. “Hey, hey, guys! We’re both against the Alliance! Eh? Enemy of my enemy is my friend, you know?”

 

“...Right.” Lynaria released the hand in a death grip on one of her sheathed katana, and Kamui found himself exhaling in relief.

 

Zeta stretched. “Anyways, what brings you here?”

 

“Lord Drakath requested me to remind you to hurry up,” Lynaria replied.

 

The woman looked surprised. “Oh! That time already?” She mimicked checking a watch on her wrist, even though she was just staring at a shirt cuff. “Oh, yea, it’s about that time! Time for Lord Drakath to whine I’m taking too long!”

 

Lynaria groaned. “Do not patronize him like that.”

 

Zeta giggled, then leaned to Kamui. “Ignore her. She’s protective of him cause he raised her.”

 

“He’s her dad?” Kamui questioned.

 

Lynaria felt herself getting hot in the face. “Zeta!” She snapped with sudden emotion in her voice.

 

“He practically is!” Zeta ignored her. “Lynaria’s village got destroyed when she was really, really young! Drakath found her crying amongst two katana, and took her in to raise her. They’ve been together even before the whole Lords of Chaos fiasco I told you about!” She laughed. “Imagine the Champion of Chaos changing a diaper or two!”

 

Kamui laughed, and replied in a normal tone as if he got the joke, “I’ve never met the Champion of Chaos!”

 

Lynaria grabbed Zeta by the ear and began pulling her. “Okay. Talking time’s over.”

 

“Okay...Bye, Kamui!”

 

Kamui waved, still smiling. “Bye! Have fun with scouting!” He placed on his helmet, and hopped off the car hood, beginning to walk off on his own.

 

Zeta sighed. “He’s cute,” she murmured to Lynaria.

 

“Yes, and I would ask you don’t spill private information on him. You really better hope you got some good infomation.”

 

“Not a scrap!” Zeta cheerfully replied.

 

“Wonderful.” Lynaria snapped her fingers, and purple swathed them both before they vanished from the area.

 

Drakath looked up from his throne at a glow. With calm, focused eyes, he watched the two women appear before him.

 

Lynaria let go of Zeta. “Lord Drakath, Zeta was flaking off,” she put it simply, bowing before her master.

 

“Aw, come on!” Zeta whined. “Don’t rat me out like that!”

 

Drakath sighed. “I had a feeling she was. Anything else?”

 

Lynaria’s tone grew venomous. “Yes. She was soliciting with an unknown soldier of the Umbra Mondo, telling him of our...relationship between you and I.”

 

Immediately, Drakath drew out his sword and leveled it with Zeta’s nose. “YOU WHAT?!”

 

Zeta gave a cheesy grin at Drakath’s visibly red face. “I mean, he practically laid out the foundation for me to drop it! I couldn’t resist!”

 

“...Lynaria, you are excused.”

 

Sighing, she began walking away. “Thank you, Lord Drakath.” She dropped out of sight, perhaps to go nap in a tree or simply gaze upon the scenery around her.

 

When it was the two of them, Drakath turned his head so fast, Zeta’s heart dropped. “How dare you,” he breathed with red-hot anger dripping from every syllable.

 

“Well, it’s, uh...true!” Zeta pointed out. “You did raise her!”

 

Drakath sighed. “Remind me how you are older than her.”

 

“Because she was born four years after I was?” She responded.

 

“You know very well that is not what I meant. If you dare reveal any...private information...again, I will be the one personally executing you.”

 

Zeta backed away. “Okay! Okay! I swear on it! Promise!” She said as she crossed her fingers behind her back.

 

“You are excused, then.”

 

“Goodbye, Lord Drakath!” Zeta merrily skipped off, as if not a single word in that conversation was uttered.

 

Drakath sighed, and sat back in his throne. He watched Zeta’s retreating back with a watchful gaze. One hand on a throne’s armrest, the other holding his sword steady and upright next to him.

 

When she was gone, Drakath almost slouched in his throne. He placed his free hand on his face, now deep in thought.

 

Lynaria had been with him, from the start. Even from before Chaos. He had met her on complete accident, too. He merely stumbled upon her burning village, witnessing a small child sob while holding katanas too big for her petite body.

 

Lynaria always stayed in the back, watching the events of the play unfold from backstage. He kept her behind his imposing figure, never even mentioning her to the ones that oppose him. He wouldn’t dare risk any hint of her being known.

 

He knew the Mother of Monsters knew of her. She knew everything about Drakath. Especially his failure to free her when the Thirteenth Lord of Chaos interfered with their newfound powers as the Eternal Dragon of Time, and the sixth Lord of Chaos survived his Chaos Lord genocide. But Drakath almost doubted that Lynaria even knew who his master was.

 

Perhaps Zeta was right. Lynaria was more important to him than he let on.

 

That’s why impending doom scared him. The newly-made Alliance grew stronger every day. New recruits from the aligned worlds poured in daily, strengthening both armies and political favor. It wouldn’t be long before they began to take big actions in this Alliance-Umbra War brewing. And a lot of factions, including his, were caught right in the middle.

 

If he chose a side, the Mother of Monsters would think ill of him, but Lynaria could be safe. However, if he stayed neutral, the Lore side of the Alliance could paint him as a possible threat in the future and target him. Both sides had their different flavors of poison, and each antidote was only bittersweet.

 

Only after a few hours of thinking did a new idea hit him like a sack of bricks.

 

Drakath turned his head to a skuttling creature of Chaos. “Get me both Lynaria and Zeta,” he commanded.

 

Immediately, the creature bolted down the mountainside. They were gone in less than a second, leaving Drakath alone on the mountain.

He was impatient for one of the first times in life. His clawed, armored hands drummed anxiously on the armrests of his throne, awaiting the girls.

 

They arrived at different times. Lynaria only took ten minutes to arrive, landing delicately before his throne with her wings that looked too similar to Drakath’s to be a coincidence. Zeta was fashionably late, as always, with the creature in her arms and being swung around gently like a pet.

 

“You requested us, Lord Drakath?” Lynaria questioned.

 

“I did,” he answered, resuming his normal, threatening position.

 

“Well, what is it?” Zeta asked. “You normally don’t call us so many times a day, you know!”

 

Drakath paused a moment. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes. “I wish for Lynaria to join the Alliance.”

 

Both girls immediately froze. The creature was dropped on the ground, and it immediately crawled off, shrieking as if its tail was on fire. None of them paid it any mind, instead entering a staredown.

 

“I...need to leave?” Lynaria stammered. “But...why?”

 

Drakath was good at making up excuses. “The Alliance has been becoming extremely powerful. I want Lynaria to undermine it from within. She is the only one I trust with the job.”

 

At that, the mentioned’s eyes began to water. “L-Lord Drakath...you honor me!” Lynaria placed a hand over her mouth, smiling.

 

Zeta scowled. “Then why was I called too?”

 

“For you to follow Lynaria and be her partner.”

 

Zeta saw it a mile away, and gave a wide grin. “Uh huh. And I’m totally not being entrusted as her protector and guardian.”

 

Dralath growled. “I want you to do your job. Nothing more.”

 

“Well, you aren’t denying it, so I’m pretty sure I’m right!” Zeta cheered. “That means we’re heading back to the Tower, Lynnie!”

 

“Lord Drakath...” Lynaria stammered. “Thank you for the opportunity. I will do what you command me!”

 

“I will give the word when I want to,” he merely responded. “Now, go before I change my mind and make someone else do it.”

 

Zeta laughed. “You may replace me, but you won’t replace her!” She offered the young woman next to her an elbow. “Shall we go, then?”

 

“...I can teleport well on my own,” Lynaria replied, and did just that, vanishing from sight.

 

Zeta frowned. “Party pooper,” she muttered before she did the same.

 

When they were gone, Drakath exhaled and placed his head in one hand. He would probably not see them again for a very long time, but it would be worth it.

 

If you asked him of his relationship with Lynaria, he would merely say she was his apprentice. If you tried to dig deeper, he would probably kill you. But if you lived, you’ll know that his words are a lie.

 

With the Alliance itself, it was building itself into a strong front. Due to its individual heroes and their history, they had much political favor when it came to the different worlds making it up. Not only that, but strong morale and even stronger hope has resulted in a stronge influx of recruits from all worlds eager to fight in the war. After all, besides the Burning of Ylisse, as they call it, there has been no blown-out devastation.

 

Takumi sat on a box, Dynamo at his side as they relaxed in the Tower like most soldiers did. “So, you got tortured by Fox?”

 

Cayde, sitting adjacent to them, shrugged. “Well, I don’t remember any of it, so I guess that’s where the injuries came from.” He chuckled. “Man, they did not know how to put an Exo back together. You should have seen me.”

 

Dynamo grinned. “Hey, you got lucky. Takumi, on the other hand?”

 

“I almost died. And I got my arm ripped off to save my life.” Takumi hit his left shoulder, which made a thudding noise. “From shoulder down, this entire thing is pure metal.”

 

“So, you’re a cyborg!” Cayde exclaimed. “How does that work? How do you, uh...move the arm? Is there some sort of artifical nerves in there?”

 

“Well, yea. Practically.” Takumi shrugged. “I can't really feel anything on the arm, but I don't mind at all. I've gotten used to it.”

 

“So, what brings you to me?” Cayde crossed his legs in an almost flamboyant manner, even placing his hand on his knee. “Caches? Hunts?”

 

“A sister.” Takumi grew serious. “My little sister has been missing for five years.” He whipped out a photo from his pocket, unfolded it, and held it up. “This is her.”

 

Cayde leaned to look at the black and white photo. A small girl in a dress stood before the camera, smiling. She had to be Reploid, because he’s seen those facial markings on both Rowan and Cedar.

 

“What’s her name?” Cayde looked back at Takumi.

 

“Sakura.”

 

Cayde frowned. “Sakura...Sounds familiar, now that I think about it.”

 

Takumi perked up at that. “Really?”

 

“Yea, it does! I’m definite that I’ve seen her somewhere before!” Cayde placed a hand on his chin. “But I can’t put the person to the place...Don’t get me wrong, I know I’ve seen her before! It’s just I can’t remember where.”

 

“You have to,” Takumi begged. “Please, I’ve been looking for her for so long.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do. If I remember somethin’, I’ll tell you or either of your dads right away.”

 

“Thank you, Cayde. You practically have no idea how much this means to me.”

 

Cayde sighed. “Oh, believe me, I know what it’s like to search for family for so long, and still come up with nothin’.”

 

Takumi stood up, looking at Dynamo. “You coming?”

 

“Nah. I’m interested in his stories.” Dynamo leaned forward, giving a cocky grin. “So, tell me more about your travels on Mars.”

 

“Alright, alright. I’ll tell ya how I first met my buddy Andal, alright?”

 

Takumi left, not really interested in stories of past travels. The people in them are dead anyways, so why bother?

 

As the stories turned to meaningless chatter in the back, Takumi looked around. The Tower seems to get busier and get busier by the day, with new people constantly arriving to add to the already massive army that has been gathered in the last few weeks.

 

He looked at somebody in Umbrati armor being herded along by two Blades. “Hey, guys,” he said. “Is this an Umbrati?”

 

One Blade deactivated their mask to reveal Faro. “Not even. It’s a Vallian in Umbrati armor. He’s claiming he’s from the Umbra Mondo.”

 

Takumi looked shocked at that. “Then that means people are choosing to join the fight on the Shadow Queen’s side. Voluntarily?”

 

The other Blade stayed silent, though Pulled Pork appeared by them. “That’s what he’s saying! He also said his name is Kamui.”

 

“Kamui, huh?” Takumi leaned in close to the prisoner. “Listen, Kamui. The Shadow Queen? Horrible person. Fox? Even more horrible? Frankly, everyone on their side is either naïve or a horrible person. You better pray to what god you believe in that you’re just naïve, of you’re in for a world of hurt.”

 

“Um...can I choose?” Kamui asked.

 

“That’s for the council to decide. And I’m no council member, but what I can be is a damn good interrogator and executioner. You got that?”

 

“Y-Yea. I do.”

 

“Good.” Takumi stepped back, and gestured two fingers forward. “Carry on, you two.”

 

“Later,” Faro returned in a goodbye, both he and Deimos marching off with the prisoner.

 

Takumi continued on his own path, hopping around others in discussion or walking along. His eyes scanned over the crowd, and lit up when he found his target.

 

Slowly, he slinked up, before wrapping his arms around their waist. “Guess who?” He purred.

 

Leo turned around and smiled. “Good to see you two, Takumi,” he returned in the same tone before pressing a kiss to his lips.

 

Resting his head on Leo’s shoulder, Takumi looked at his clipboard. “Whatcha doing?”

 

“Looking at Alliance applications.” The Nohrian prince thumbed through the pages. “I was hired because so many were coming in at a time.” He chuckled. “I bet there’s more people in the Alliance now than there were people fighting on both sides in the Otherworlder War.”

 

“Good times, am I right?” Takumi chuckled. “Like when I lost both my arm and my virginity in the span of...what, two days?”

 

“The war didn’t last as long as most wars do, I will admit that.” Leo paused. “But a lot happened in such a short time.”

 

“Yea...” Takumi scowled, too. “Lost half of my siblings, got some scars...” He gestured to the two lines on his face, one at the corner of his mouth, the other on his cheek. “Made a few friends, and lost most of them.” He shrugged after a moment. “Game of life.”

 

Leo laughed. “Yea,” he agreed, continuing to turn the pages. “A lot of diverse people are signing up. Even partners with Chaos magic are signing up!” He gestured to two applications to prove his point.

 

“Hey, I have a teammate that uses Chaos magic,” Takumi stated. “There’s no harm in letting in a few more.”

 

“Mm...I’ll note that they should be kept under watch, but I’ll recommend acception.” Leo wrote on both applications. “I mean, we aren’t letting in murderers, are we?”

 

Takumi took a quick glance in the direction Deimos went in, then back. “Nope. Not at all!”


	6. City of Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Rowan  
> -Carla  
> -Zavala  
> -Ikora  
> -Lucy-1  
> -Shiro  
> -Gabriel  
> -Queen Isyn  
> -Queen Minoa  
> -Aaoka
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Rowan's faced lies and deceit his entire life. Now, he faces the biggest lie of all: the basis of his entire existence.

“Carla, something is wrong with me.”  
  
Carla didn’t even look up from her papers. “Yes, yes, I know. Self-deprecation is a common side effect of the trauma you’ve gone through. Don’t let it get to you.”  
  
“No, I mean, look up. Look at me.”  
  
Carla did so, raising an eyebrow. Right in front of her was Rowan. Normal Rowan. Normal Rowan glowing golden like a lightbulb with shimmering wings of pure light on his back.  
  
Immediately, the chrono angel leaned back in her chair. “What the f-?!” She caught herself in time. “Fudge. WHAT THE FUDGE?!”  
  
Rowan had a panicking expression, now. “Okay, I was hoping you could stay calm, but seeing that you aren’t, I’m stressing out!”  
  
“No! No, Rowan! Stay calm!”  
  
“Carla, you are the embodiment of calm! If you aren’t calm, I’M NOT CALM!”  
  
Carla just panicked in that moment. Of course. How was she so blind?! It was obviously Rowan, this entire time. The destined one she read of in stories. But how in the ancient ancestries could she put a lid on this?!  
  
So, with the fleeting notion that kisses usually make things better, she yanked him down into kissing her.  
  
Honestly, that made it worse. As his eyes widened, his glow turned into an almost blinding light, and the wings solidified into what looked like golden plates shaped like feathers.  
  
Rowan pulled back, then noticed. “...Oh,” he merely stated in a terrified tone.  
  
Lucy walked in, shielding her eyes with her papers. “Muffin, did you set thd light on max or-?!” She stopped talking once she saw Rowan. “Some...thing...” Immediately, she turned to the only source of information out of her league for aid, and leaned to shout down the hall. “IKORA! YOU MIGHT WANNA COME SEE THIS!”  
  
Ikora’s voice came bouncing back, along with the sound of her walking forward. “Keep it down, Lucy! It’s ten at night! And why is it so bright in there?!”  
  
“That’s what I wanna talk to you about!”  
  
Ikora stopped in the doorway and immediately paused. She stared at the glimmering Rowan, who looked on the verge of a mental breakdown, Carla, who now had a bleeding lip from another clumsy kiss, and Lucy, who was mildly freaking out. In all, a very interesting scene.  
  
“...ZAVALA!”  
  
Soon enough, all three Vanguard members were dumbfounded. Here a non-Guardian was, glowing with light, more than any Super has. What was most odd was that he was only dressed in his normal, teenager-like clothes, adding a jarring contrast to the godly light.  
  
“I...don’t know what to say to this,” Zavala admitted. “This is definitely otherworldly.”  
  
“I’m just...for once, I have no words!” Lucy threw her hands in the air. “I have a kind-of angel-no, TWO kind-of angels! As my daughters, and now we have a literal, freaking angel in the Alliance!”  
  
“An angel THAT’S ABOUT TO GO INTO THE REPLOID VERSION OF CARDIAC ARREST!” Rowan wailed. “I’m as confused about this as you are!”  
  
Lucy thought for a moment. “You gotta admit, the wing designs are cool,” she decided on saying.  
  
Before Rowan could scream more, Shiro looked in. “Hey, uh, is anybody here a ‘Light Incarnate’?” He questioned, shielding his eyes with a hand. “There’s somebody requesting for them.”  
  
“Um...Who, exactly?” Ikora asked.  
  
“Says his name is Gabriel,” he replied. “Calls himself a Luxonia.”  
  
At that, Carla’s eyes widened. She looked at Rowan, then at everyone else. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.  
  
“Uh...I think he wants you.” Lucy told Rowan, beating her daughter to the chase.  
  
Rowan pointed at myself. “Me?! I don’t even know what a Light Incarnate is!”  
  
“Well, apparently you are it, due to...” Lucy gestured to Rowan’s glowing form.  
  
“...Okay. I’ll check it out. But I’m not sure about this, honestly.”  
  
Just at the entrance of the Tower, a man looked at his environment. His skin was chalk white, but his hair in a braid that draped over his shoulder was a brilliant gold, much like Rowan’s. His eyes were completely yellow, much like an Umbrati’s. He wore yellow and gold garbs, and used his hands gloved by gold fingerless gloves to make a frame.  
  
Lance raised an eyebrow. “Are you framing my head?”  
  
The man pointed a thumb at himself. “Artist.”  
  
“You don’t speak English well?”  
  
“No.” The apparent Luxonia began to draw in a sketchbook, white mist drifting off his entire form.  
  
“Er...Okay.” Lance shrugged, not too sure how to react to the strange man apparently drawing him.  
  
He didn’t even know how to articulate words when Rowan walked up, the wings and glow still evident on his entire body. “Uh...Gabriel, right?”  
  
The Luxonia responded to the name, and looked up. Rowan almost jumped at the yellow voids he has come to recognize as Umbrati eyes.  
  
“Light Incarnate!” He apparently was very happy to see him, as he jumped off the boxes he was sitting on, ran over to Rowan, and clasped both of his hands in his own before spewing out a long dialect of a language he didn’t understand.  
  
“Uh...Hello?” Rowan frowned. “Can you help me with...” He nudged his head at his wings, hands not really free to point. “This?”  
  
Despite speaking a different language, Gabriel seemed to understand entirely. Releasing Rowan’s hands, he clapped them twice, still smiling. At once, the wings and glow vanished.  
  
Rowan sighed in relief as Carla walked up. “Thank the gods. It was starting to hurt my eyes.” Gabriel scowled at the obvious language barrier. “Um, I guess you’re looking for me?”  
  
Gabriel raised a finger, and waved for Lance to come over. Hesitantly, the Red Paladin did so.  
  
“Y-?” He started.  
  
Gabriel grabbed Lance’s face and kissed him. In front of his girlfriend.  
  
Lance practically reacted like any normal person would: punch that sucker right in the face. “What the hell?! I have a girlfriend!”  
  
Allura drew her bayard and pointed it. “Friendly or not, I’m going to murder my first Luxonia today.”  
  
“Wait, wait, wait!” Both paused when Gabriel spoke near-perfect English. “I just needed to learn your language!” He paused. “Wow. That sounds weird on my tongue. Lan...guage. Sounds like guac. What is guac? What word is that?”  
  
“...What?!” Rowan summed it up in one word.  
  
“What is the meaning of this?!” Allura questioned.  
  
“My name...is Gabriel. Man! Your language is like sandpaper! How do you guys talk like this? Luxin is much more refined! I mean, I would even prefer Umbrin over this! And that’s a language for Umbrati! Can you believe it? I hate speaking this language more than speaking my mortal enemy’s language!”  
  
“He seems to...like going off-topic,” Carla murmured.  
  
Allura scowled. “I can see that.”  
  
“Oh. Sorry, sorry. My name is Gabriel.”  
  
“You said that already!” Lance pointed out.  
  
“Did I? Ah, forgive me. I get off-topic a lot, and forget what I say. Um...What was I going to say? Oh, yea!” Gabriel suddenly lunged at Rowan. “Light Incarnate!”  
  
Immediately, Timeweaver was out and at Gabriel’s forehead. “Touch him and you perish, creep.”  
  
The Luxonia lunged back, arms up. “I’m unarmed! Don’t harm me! If you eat me, Luxonia blood is poisonous to others! Especially humans like you!”  
  
“I’m a chrono angel, so I guess it’s my lucky day.”  
  
Gabriel got de-railed once more, and it was Carla’s turn to feel uncomfortable as he held her hands. “Wow! A chrono angel! You are as beautiful as I heard!” He got down on one knee. “I feel like we’ve known each other for-”  
  
Rowan dropkicked himself into Gabriel. “THAT’S MY GIRLFRIEND!”  
  
Gabriel skidded back, eyes wide. “Oh, no!” He got into a praying position in front of Rowan. “Please forgive me, Light Incarnate! I didn’t know! Spare me from your righteous wrath!”  
  
“...What even is Light Incarnate?” Rowan questioned.  
  
Gabriel gasped. “Oooooh! That’s what I was going to say! Well, you’re one of two people destined to either destroy the entire universe or balance it.”  
  
Everyone’s jaws went slack. They all stared at Gabriel, who kept an innocent, happy expression as if he had just said the most normal thing in the world.   
  
And that day, everyone present learned Rowan can still faint, even as a Reploid.  
  
Carla fanned Rowan, who now laid on a table in the hangar. “You okay?”  
  
“I’m supposed to destroy the universe...?” he mumbled.  
  
“Or restore it!” Gabriel pointed out, then thought for a moment. “Though that may mean it gets destroyed, then you restore it.”  
  
Amanda waved her wrench at Gabriel, who wisely stepped away. “Aight, back off, ya weirdo. Give ‘im some breathin’ space ‘in processin’ time. Ya just told ‘im he’s destined for crap he was not warned ‘bout beforehand.”  
  
Gabriel disregarded personal space and got close to Rowan’s face. “But I thought the Aytolis and Gristonne bloodlines would warn their children of their possible destiny! Did it fade out like a popular trend? Those die a lot. Now I want some of those-”  
  
Amanda threw her wrench at Gabriel’s head and made a direct hit. “I said back off!”  
  
Rowan sat up. “Wait...Aytolis and Gristonne? You know them?”  
  
“Of course I do. They’re the kingdoms that branched off of the Lux and Umbra Mondo a millennium ago!”  
  
“Wh-What? Huh? I wanna wake up from this weird dream...”  
  
“Oh, no! This isn’t a dream! I can prove it! I can take you home! To the Lux Mondo! You’ll love it there!” Gabriel grabbed Rowan’s arms. “We can go shopping and snacking, meeting and greeting...and get you out of these weird clothes. Why is there a pocket hanging off the collar of your shirt?”  
  
“Hold on, hold on. Let me-”  
  
“Yea! Let me take you!” Gabriel picked up Rowan as if he was paper maché.  
  
“No! That’s not what I meant!”  
  
Amanda has clearly given up on this lunatic, at this point. “Aight, kid. Your on your own. I did my best.”  
  
“CARLAAAAAAA!” Rowan flailed as Gabriel began to carry him off.  
  
“Oh, your girlfriend can come, too!” Gabriel flicked two fingers. “She just needs to grab on now, or-”  
  
Carla tackled Gabriel, sending all three of them to the ground. Amanda winced upon their impact, seeing the way Gabriel’s head smacked against Carla’s.  
  
All three of them glowed golden. Everyone in the hangar looked up just in time to see them disappear, Gabriel towing along Carla and Rowan on a ride they definitely didn’t want to go on. A few panicked while most kind of just ignored it, figuring out pretty quickly that nothing could be done, at this point.  
  
Kamui in cuffs looked as he sat next to Zeta and Lynaria. “...Will they be okay?”  
  
“Mm, yea, I doubt either of them will end up dead!” Zeta cheered. “Especially with such a reliable tourist guide!”  
  
“They’re dead,” Lynaria translated for him.  
  
“...So, about my imprisonment.” Kamui attempted to continue their conversation.  
  
“If you can prove to be of no harm, you will be released on the exception of working for the Alliance against your creators.”  
  
“Uh...wonderful?”  
  
Teleporting only took a fraction of a second, so by the time Carla’s fist collided with Gabriel’s cheek and sent him crashing to the ground, they were long gone from the Tower. Rowan from being dropped faceplanted right into the ground.  
  
He immediately pulled his face out of the ground as Carla helped him up, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?”  
  
“Why is it so...warm?” Rowan murmured.  
  
Gabriel, not even fazed, sat up. “Because we’re in the Lux Mondo!”  
  
The chrono angel looked around and gasped. “We are,” she softly murmured.  
  
The environment was absolutely teeming with light. Long blades of yellow-green grass brushed against Carla’s boots, even when they were slightly elevated by her heels. It was so hall, that it rose inches above the clear dirt pathways cutting through and twisting out of sight. The trees bore white leaves, with yellow bulbs hanging out of the foliage by vines twisting around them, making them effective light bulbs. Not like light was needed. The sky was a brilliant golden, and shone down brightly on the Lux Mondo.  
  
“Welcome to the Lux Mondo!” Gabriel cheered. “Some residents of the timelines call it the Plane of Light. How silly does that sound?”  
  
Carla was speechless. “For a chrono angel to enter both the Umbra Mondo and Lux Mondo, something that was never done before...in the span of a month alone?”  
  
“So you’ve been to the Umbra Mondo?” Gabriel laughed. “Let me guess! It’s really dreary! I’ve heard stories about it, and they aren’t pretty! Not in the slightest! Lucky for us, Umbrati can’t exist in the Umbra Mondo, or they’ll burn up on the spot!”  
  
Rowan managed to regain his bearings and turned to the Luxonia. “Gabriel, right? Why did you bring us here?”  
  
“Huh? Well, so you can come to Light’s Soul, that’s why!”  
  
“Light’s...Soul?” Carla questioned.  
  
“It’s the capital of the Lux Mondo! Duh! I mean, Light’s Soul can’t be any normal village name!” Gabriel suddenly frowned. “Actually, it’s the capital because it’s the only city. There’s no other town. They usually get destroyed by the other inhabitants of the Lux Mondo.”  
  
“There are...other inhabitants of the Lux Mondo?” Carla questioned.  
  
“Well, Yea! We may not be the only beings of light, but we are the most humane! The other guys are just, like, creatures! Well, I guess all of us are creatures in the end.”  
  
Rowan raise his hands in an attempt to quiet Gabriel. “Okay, okay. That’s nice, but...Where is this Light’s Soul?”  
  
Gabriel immediately pointed to the side and off into the distance. “That way! At the center of the Lux Mondo!”  
  
Rowan sighed. “I guess you aren’t going to take us back until we see it?”  
  
“I guess that will be the case!” Gabriel grinned at the two. “Trust me, you’ll love Light’s Soul!”  
  
“Do we have a choice?” Rowan dryly joked in return.  
  
Gabriel led the way, a slight skip in his every step as he walked forward on one of the paths laid out to them. Rowan and Carla followed behind him, both looking around at the endless environment of golden and white splashes of color. It stretched out beyond their eyesight, disappearing after the horizon littered with trees and life. Every once in a while, they could see movement, indicating a creature wasn’t too far away.  
  
“So, the Lux Mondo...” Rowan attempted conversation. “And Aytolis and Gristonne. They’re connected?”  
  
“How could you not know, Light Incarnate?”  
  
“Rowan,” he clarified. “My name is Rowan.”  
  
“How could you not know, Light Incarnate Rowan? I mean, you should know by now that Aytolis and Gristonne exist outside of the timelines altogether!”  
  
Carla gasped. “Outside? But that’s impossible.”  
  
“Well, it isn’t! So that means there’s only one Light Incarnate out there! No timeline duplicates! Just you!”  
  
“That doesn’t make sense!” Carla claimed. “Nothing besides the Walkways and Lux and Umbra Mondos exist outside of the timelines!”  
  
“News flash, miss chrono angel! Something does! Aytolis and Gristonne!”  
  
“That’s nice to know, but...what exactly is Light Incarnate?” Rowan questioned.  
  
Gabriel huffed. “I would have expected you to know these things. Did your parents just not think of the legend?”  
  
“The legend of Light and Shadow Incarnate,” Carla realized. “I read all about it in my home. I just can't believe I was blind enough to not realize Rowan was the Light Incarnate.”  
  
“He is!” He cheerfully replied. “The legend is something about forbidden love, chaos, and dragons, right?”  
  
Rowan scowled. “That’s...informative.”  
  
“Listen, I may not know, but the queen of the Lux Mondo will!” Gabriel retorted. “Lady Isyn knows everything! Even though she just ascended the throne when her aunt Minoa died!”  
  
“Um...Slow down. Who’s Lady Isyn?” Carla tilted her head.  
  
“I just said! The queen! It’s like you aren’t listening! Do you need to get your ears checked? I can do that for you! I have a great eye! One time, I spotted a-”  
  
Rowan was able to stop Gabriel before he went on. “We should be getting a move on to meet this queen of yours. Shouldn’t we?”  
  
“Oh. Oh, yes, of course! We haven’t a moment to lose!” Gabriel spread his arms out. “We must make haste! We should fly!”  
  
“I-I can’t fly!” Rowan stammered. “I don’t know how!”  
  
Carla sighed. “Do you expect for us to even be able to keep up with your motor mouth, Gabriel? You barely give us a moment’s notice before you move on.”  
  
“Sorry! Sorry! But the Light Incarnate can fly!”  
  
Rowan snapped back, “Well, you’re not the Light Incarnate, so you don’t know that.”  
  
“But...I saw your wings!”  
  
“Somehow, you summoned them to me in the first place!”  
  
“Oh! That was a really simple tracking spell! It brings out the light in a soul, so you know who’s Luxonia and who’s not!”  
  
“A...soul?” Rowan began to question.  
  
Before he could say anything else, he was back in Gabriel’s arms. “But if you can’t fly, I will be happy to fly you to Light’s Soul!”  
  
Carla scowled. “Can you let us talk?”  
  
“We can talk while we fly! Now, onwards, at great speed! Lady Isyn must meet you two!”  
  
Carla sighed. In a flash of blue, her wings had spread out on her back, blue feathers shimmering in the yellow environment. “Fine. Let’s go.”  
  
Gabriel’s wings forming were identical to Rowan. Feathers separated into golden, metallic plates tipped with a deep orange. However, they folded and extended, just like any normal wings, each plate sliding into a resting state above the other. Rowan had no idea how Luxonia angels worked, but something for certain is that the individual “feathers” could most likely be used as a weapon.  
  
They also were fast, too. As soon as Carla’s boots left the ground, Gabriel shot off without warning. Rowan was left clinging onto the Luxonia, taken off-guard by the sudden movement. Carla was, too, and worked fast to keep up.  
  
She managed to side with Gabriel, and had to yell over the roaring wind they kicked up. “So, Rowan, you don't know the legend?”  
  
“Not in the slightest!”  
  
“It’s a common legend in the universe! Two people, labelled Light and Shadow Incarnate, with Luxonia and Umbrati blood running on their veins, would arise if the universe was in great peril! With their powers combined, they would either destroy the universe entirely, or return its balance!”  
  
Rowan frowned. “So, you know the basic premise of the legend, but you don’t know the backstory of it?!”  
  
“Nobody in the Walkways do! There was nothing of the origin of the legend in the records!”  
  
Gabriel suddenly stopped, and Carla flailed a bit in braking, too. “Here we are!”  
  
Rowan was thankfully put back on his feet. Releasing his grip on Gabriel, he dusted himself off, though it didn’t really do anything. Flicking some kicked-up dust off his shoulder, he looked forward.  
  
Before them was a brilliant, golden wall. It seemed to be made of gold itself, by the way it sparkled and shone. On the center stood an imposing, birch white door.  
  
“Welcome to Light’s Soul!” Gabriel gestured to the wall.  
  
“What’s with the wall?” Rowan questioned.  
  
“To keep the other residents of the Lux Mondo out!”  
  
Carla squinted. “What are you two talking about?”  
  
Rowan looked. “You don’t see the giant, probably forty feet or something wall? Right in front of us?”  
  
“Nothing like that.”  
  
Gabriel slapped his forehead. “Oh! Completely slipped my mind! Non-Luxonia can’t see the city! It’s a protection method against any unwanted attention!”  
  
“Well, what do we do about it?” Rowan asked.  
  
“Oh, the ward only works on the outside. Once we enter, she can see just fine!”  
  
“Then how do we enter?” Carla asked. “Is there a door?”  
  
“No, it’s just a wall with no way in or out,” Rowan sarcastically replied.  
  
“You adapted to my personality very quickly,” Carla remarked.  
  
Gabriel strutted forward to the doors. Rowan turned to look at him as the Luxonia wasted no time in knocking on the door politely as if it were just a door to a friend’s house.  
  
After a moment, a compartment next to the door slid open, and a man’s face can be seen through it. “Who goes there?”  
  
“It’s me! Gabriel!”  
  
They seemed to sigh, and Rowan could hear their groan from where he stood. “Back from another one of your Light Incarnate hunts, I see?”  
  
“This time, I got him! I swear!”  
  
“I’ll tell Lady Isyn you’re heading over.” The face pulled away, and the compartment closed.  
  
Carla frowned as the doors began to creak open. “You looked for the Light Incarnate often?”  
  
“Well, duh! He’s meant to save the entire universe! Who wouldn’t want to find him?” Gabriel paused. “Well, the entire Lux Mondo except me, but ignore that.”  
  
Carla frowned. “Can we get this over with instead of standing around and merely talking?”  
  
“Oh, yes. Right, right. Come on in!” Gabriel took each of them by a hand and began to drag them into the city of Light’s Soul.  
  
Rowan couldn’t help but be amazed. Most of the buildings colored white and gold wound up towering above his head, the roof stories above the ground. Market stalls were scattered across the busy street, selling things that either he couldn't identify, or he had just never seen before. In the distance, a glimmering White Castle laid to watch over the buildings.  
  
Immediately, Rowan pulled up his hood when he noticed Luxonia looking. Their unfamiliar and almost judgemental stares put him at unease. He reached out a hand to move Carla closer to his side, and she got his body language well, stepping forward to walk alongside him instead of behind.  
  
Gabriel noticed their unease. “I think they’re just staring at your girlfriend! Nobody really sees a brown-haired beauty that much these days!”  
  
Rowan still scowled under his hood. “How far are we to the queen?”  
  
“Her castle is in the center of Light’s Soul,” Gabriel explained. “It’s a long walk from the entrance, but we’re in no rush.”  
  
At that, Carla grabbed Gabriel’s shoulder. “Actually, we are, because I don’t like the looks we’re being given.”  
  
“Oh, relax, miss chrono angel!” Gabriel had not a single care in existence. “I’m sure everybody would just leave you alone!”  
  
“How are you so careless?” Carla muttered, eyes narrowed. “Even more so than my parents, which is saying something.”  
  
True to Gabriel’s word, the castle was indeed a long walk from the entrance to Light’s Soul. Not only that, but it was confusing, too. Most of the turns taken to get there went down small, abandoned roads, a sharp contrast to the busy main streets. Rowan was definite they would be long lost if not for Gabriel.  
  
Carla, of course, questioned why the main roads did not lead to the castle itself. “It would make sense for them to.”  
  
“Oh, they do!” Gabriel clarified. “It’s just that Luxonia always take those roads, so it’s a literal traffic jam. Going off-road is both a shortcut and crowd-free!”  
  
Rowan shrugged a shoulder. “That makes sense, I guess. Though how come the main streets don’t go directly to the castle?”  
  
“Less questions, more a move on!” Gabriel hurried his pace.  
  
Carla sighed as they began to lag behind. “What an airhead,” he muttered. “Even more when you came to the Alliance and began to readjust to seeing people.”  
  
Rowan shivered at that. “Don’t remind me,” he muttered, mind flashing back to the past few years of his life.  
  
“Sorry,” Carla apologized quickly.  
  
Gabriel suddenly stopped. “Okay!” He called loudly. “Here we are!”  
  
Rowan and Carla looked up. Towering before them was the castle that was spotted on the way in. It reached to barely scrape the golden, clear sky as guards in golden armor stood poised at the entrance.  
  
As if they were close friends, Gabriel strutted up to the guards. “Hello, sir or madam!” He warmly greeted them.  
  
“...Gabriel,” one of them grunted. He seemed to be a bit infamous in Light’s Soul.  
  
“I was wondering if Lady Isyn was willing to have an audience with me? It’s very important!”  
  
“We were told in advance,” they droned in response. “She denied the audience.”  
  
“Well I completely understand. Is the smell of eggs gone from the throne room?”  
  
“Thankfully.”  
  
Gabriel grabbed Rowan’s arm, and dragged him forward, pulling off his hood in the process. “But this time, I really got Light Incarnate!”  
  
Rowan barely knew what to do in this situation, so he smiled sheepishly and waved. “Hello.”  
  
Both guards stared between Gabriel and Rowan. One was a Reploid resembling a human, the other was a Luxonia. However, Rowan had the exact same shade of hair all Luxonia had. Not only that, but they could sense the sheer amount of light radiating off of him if they merely tapped into their powers enough.  
  
“You...may actually be right this time, Gabriel,” the guard muttered.  
  
“See? I told you! I told you all I’ll find him! Can you tell the queen?” Gabriel nudged his head towards the castle. “I want to re-apply for a visit.”  
  
“Definitely.” The guard wasted no time to bolt inside, leaving the other one slack jawed at Rowan.  
  
Carla deepened her scowl, noticing their gender and taking Rowan’s arm to entwine it with hers. “Mine,” she growled, and she smirked when the guard wisely resumed their stoic position.  
  
It wasn't long before the other guard raced back, out of breath. “You...have an audience...” they panted, gesturing to the entrance.  
  
Gabriel smiled. “Thank you!” he chimed before strutting in, the pep in his step growing more obvious each time his foot hit the ground.  
  
Carla had the audacity to whisper “Sorry,” as she walked by, pulling Rowan with her.  
  
“I pity you for being pulled along by him,” the guard returned.  
  
Rowan gently elbowed Carla, careful to not hurt her. “Carla!” He hissed.  
  
“Well, they agreed.”  
  
The two tagged in last, slipping through the doors as Gabriel shoved them wide open. The warmth of the Lux Mondo immediately changed to a more cozy and homely kind of warmth. It almost made Rowan freeze in his tracks.  
  
Carla noticed him falter. “What’s wrong?”  
  
He quickly wiped away the forming tears. “I just haven’t felt warmth like this in years, that’s all. Let’s go.”  
  
Carla hesitated a moment before, but continued walking. Their arms still together, Rowan was just kind of pulled along.  
  
The room was a hallway entirely coated in various hues of gold and white. Paintings of people Rowan did not recognize hung on the walls, framed by white ivory designs. A carpet extended down the hall, past numerous doors bolded by a golden yellow.  
  
“The throne room is the door at the end of the hall,” Gabriel quickly informed them. “Lady Isyn is most likely in there.”  
  
Rowan found himself lagging behind. Gabriel couldn’t contain his energy and skipped straight ahead. Carla walked in the middle, observing the area with a quick look before moving on. Rowan slowed altogether, staring at the paintings.  
  
Most of them were of families. Rarely, there was a painting with only one person in it. All of them shared the same Luxonia colors: Blond hair, and skin pale as the moon itself. The women seemed to prefer wearing white robes while the men wore fancy, golden outfits.  
  
Near the end of the hall, Rowan stopped completely. His eyes were now entirely focused on one single painting, the last one on the right just before the throne room entrance.  
  
It was a young man, blond hair ruffled slightly. With a red cape that stuck straight out of the yellow and gold world of the Lux Mondo and proper posture, he seemed to hold himself in the highest regard, not even smiling in the picture. Rowan has never seen him before, but he seems almost eerily familiar.  
  
“Oh, him?” Gabriel looked, too. “That’s the late Prince Yumal. Lady Isyn’s cousin. He was supposed to take the throne, but he died ages ago, when his mother Lady Minoa was still in power. He was found rambling mad about the prophecy, and convinced his mother to allow Aytolis and Gristonne to thrive before perishing in her arms. A lot of people theorized that he and the prophecy are connected, but there’s no conclusive evidence.”  
  
“Carla?” Rowan questioned with a hint of uncertainty.  
  
“I’ve never seen him before, but I can see you have,” she guessed.  
  
“I just don’t know where,” he admitted. “I’ve seen him before, but where? And how?”  
  
Gabriel peeked back at them. “Uh...the queen wants you!” He called before ducking back through the door to the throne room.  
  
Carla nudged her head forward. “Come on. We’ll investigate later.”  
  
All three entered the throne room. Inside, a woman with her golden hair in a bun and bronze cuffs to go with her white dress was talking to an older woman, one with much longer hair that cascaded down to her waist. A third woman, in a gold set of armor, was standing completely still next to the throne, a rapier sheathed on her belt.  
  
Gabriel waved hello. “Lady Isyn!” He chirped. “Lady Minoa!”  
  
The younger one didn’t react with as much enthusiasm. “Oh. Gabriel.”  
  
The older one did. “Hello, Gabriel!”  
  
Carla raised an eyebrow. “You told us your Lady Minoa is dead.”  
  
“Oh, she is! That’s merely her ghost.”  
  
The chrono angel scoffed. “Preposterous. Ghosts aren’t real.”  
  
“Oh, but they are! If a Luxonia dies, but has a truly strong will and soul, they’ll last just a bit longer after death!”  
  
“Souls?” Rowan scratched the back of his neck.  
  
The younger Luxonia sighed. “The lifeforce of every living being in existence. Souls can be manipulated by the powers of light and darkness, as such the act of consuming a soul in light or darkness.”  
  
“That must be what happened to Exalt Chrom...” Carla surmised to mostly herself, but was loud enough for Rowan to hear.  
  
Rowan looked at the younger one. “You must be the current queen,” he theorized.  
  
“I am. I am Isyn, the queen of the Umbra Mondo and succeeding my aunt after her death.” Isyn frowned at Rowan. “You don’t look like a Light Incarnate fabled to restore the universe should darkness befall it.”  
  
“Well excuse me for not doing my hair today,” Rowan snarked back. “I wasn’t told beforehand we were meeting the queen of light herself.”  
  
Isyn’s expression darkened. “You would be wise to still your tongue.”  
  
Minoa frowned. “Do humans normally have strange markings like you do?”  
  
“N-No.” Rowan reached a hand to press it against his cheek. “These were...the results of experimentation on me. It’s nothing to worry about.” Trying to divert the subject, he stuck a hand out. “My name is Rowan. Rowan of Aytolis.”  
  
Isyn didn’t even move to take it. “Aytolis? Then you actually are Light Incarnate.”  
  
“Yeah...can somebody explain to me the legend behind that is? I was only told just now that I’m the catalyst of the universe being saved or dying.”  
  
Isyn sighed again. “Gabriel didn’t even inform you?”  
  
“No. He said he forgot it.”  
  
“Of course he did...very well.” Isyn frowned at having to do this. “A long, long time ago. When my aunt was recently crowned. A few million years ago.”  
  
Minoa noticed their confused expressions. “Luxonia can rule for a very long time!”  
  
“There existed one Luxonia and one Umbrati. We have no idea what the Umbrati’s name was, but the Luxonia was named Orli. These two met and fell in love. Of course, such an act caused such an uproar, once it was found out. It was even more disgusting, due to the fact that Orli was chosen as the bride for my late cousin.  
  
“They ran away. They decided to defy the laws of the universe itself, and made a brand new realm. Outside of the timelines, and made out of pieces of the Lux and Umbra Mondo. This realm divided into two kingdoms. Aytolis and Gristonne. Your home. Each of them ruled a kingdom. And so, their blood of light and darkness trickled down the family tree of the royal bloodline.  
  
“One day, my cousin was found in his room, raving mad. He spoke a prophecy, of two with the inheritance of the darkest night and the brightest day crossing swords, to either destroy the universe or reforge it. They would fight against the true evil to save what is good. Those were his last words, as he died in my aunt’s arms.  
  
“So, you are the descendant to Orli the Luxonia, and have some of her Umbrati fling’s blood in you, two. You are the destined Light Incarnate.”  
  
“I’m...part Luxonia?” Rowan’s eyes were wide, staring at Isyn.  
  
“Very faintly. But it’s enough. Apparently, now, the universe is in peril. You will have to take up arms against the Shadow Incarnate to save it.”  
  
Rowan frowned for a moment. “So...This Shadow Incarnate is the double to the Light Incarnate. So technically speaking, the Shadow Incarnate would be the same generation that I am, but in the Gristonne royal family.”  
  
“Correct.” Isyn nodded.  
  
“Oh. Then I saved the universe without even knowing it!” Rowan grinned sheepishly. “Prince Darios of Gristonne is...dead. And has been dead, for a while.”  
  
All four Luxonia in the room absolutely froze. Minoa and Gabriel had the exact expression of shock. Isyn’s jaw dropped, and an eyebrow was cocked high into the air. Even the bodyguard by the throne froze, ruby red lips slightly parted as if to take in a gasp.  
  
“Is that true?” She spoke. “The Shadow Incarnate was already slain?”  
  
Minoa looked over. “That seems to be true, Aaoka!” She tried to clasp Rowan’s hands, but they passed through. That didn’t stop her from acting all excited. “Oh, this is most joyous news! Indeed, it is!”  
  
Isyn smiled, her eyebrow lowering. “Well, then. It seems we are done here. You can go, now.”  
  
Rowan stopped smiling. “Go? We just got here!”  
  
“I have no time for other petty remarks.”  
  
“Wait!” Carla raised a hand. “You’re the direct rival to the Umbra Mondo, right? Surely you must know of the Shadow Queen.”  
  
Isyn scoffed, shrugging a shoulder. “So what of her? She threatens the existence of one measly timeline. There’s nothing special about it.”  
  
“Yes, there is! It’s my home!” Rowan growled.  
  
“Light Incarnate, if you already destroyed the Shadow Incarnate...well, you’re no longer needed.”  
  
Carla narrowed her eyes. “You-”  
  
“You’re even of less worth.” Carla stopped talking, taken aback a bit. “You’re just some normal chrono angel. One that doesn’t even deserve to be in the Lux Mondo for a second.” Isyn turned away. “You are dismissed. Gabriel, I want them out of the Lux Mondo if they have nothing more important to say.”  
  
Minoa frowned. “My little sapling Aytol Flower, maybe you should-”  
  
“I told you to stop calling me that. I want them out of here.”  
  
Aaoka unsheathed her rapier. “I will escort you out by force, if necessary.”  
  
Carla took Rowan’s hand. “You don’t need to. Come on, Rowan. Let’s go back to where we’re actually welcome.”  
  
Carla marched out, pulling along Rowan with her. Spewing apologies, Gabriel shot right after them on their heel. Aaoka slowly sheathed her rapier, still glaring at them as they exited through the door.  
  
“You should have let them talk,” Minoa said as Isyn walked back to the throne.  
  
Isyn sat in it, frowning. “The Umbra Mondo hasn’t disturbed us. We will not enter a war that only involves one timeline out of infinite ones.”  
  
“This all seems too easy.”


	7. The Title of Vanguard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Gabriel  
> -Rowan  
> -Cayde-6  
> -Carla  
> -Lucy  
> -Andal Brask  
> -Talli  
> -Lance
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Carla finds a lead on her uncle, and Rowan admits a few things.

Rowan smiled at Gabriel sketching in an artbook. “So, you’re staying?”

 

“Yup! I applied for becoming a member of the Alliance and everything!” Gabriel pouted. “I don’t think I’ll be welcomed in the Lux Mondo for a while after you blew a casket with the queen. And there wasn’t a wide set of choices to choose from on the application.”

 

“Hey, most people want to be soldiers, we let them be soldiers. What did you apply?”

 

“Researcher!” Gabriel grinned. “I may be an artistic man, but I do want to know how a lot of things work around here! I’m also good at learning things not commonly known!”

 

“Enlighten me.”

 

“Of course! Did you know that a non-official survey hosted by Cayde-6 revealed that exactly 81.7% of the Alliance believes Commander Zavala and Takashi Shirogane are a match made in heaven?”

 

Rowan paused before smiling. “You know what? That should be a commonly-known fact. Go tell other people.”

 

Gabriel set down his sketchbook and got up onto his feet. “Okay! I will!” Before Rowan could stop him, he was already running off towards an unknowing Guardian heading for their jumpship. “Excuse me! Guardian!”

 

Rowan genuinely looked horrified. “I didn’t know he would proceed to do that. Oh gods, what have I done? He’s gonna get crucified.”

 

Out of nowhere, an arm draped on Rowan’s shoulders. “Hey, I doubt it. 80%? Still a passin’ grade.”

 

Rowan jumped, screaming before spinning on his heel. There behind him was the exact Exo that hosted the test in the first place. He had the closest thing to a smile plastered on his metallic face.

 

“Please stop doing that.” Rowan scowled.

 

“If you can’t handle me, you can’t handle my daughter.” Cayde plopped right into a nearby seat. “Simple as that.”

 

Rowan sighed, sitting down too. “Are you still mad that I’m dating your daughter?”

 

“What? Me? Mad? No!” Cayde made a dismissive gesture. “‘Course not!”

 

Rowan was obviously unconvinced. “Then protective.”

 

“Yes. Definitely. I’ll agree with you there.”

 

As if the mere word ‘daughter’ could summon her, Carla turned the corner. Her hand held a picture tightly, and she stared at it in concentration. She wasn’t even looking where she was going.

 

Rowan noticed her with a glance. “Oh! Hey, Carla!”

 

Carla stopped walking, looking up. “Oh. Rowan.” She gave a warm smile, one of many more common these days. “Hello there.”

 

Cayde’s gaze went down to the torn picture in her hands. “What’s that you got there?”

 

“Oh. It’s of my birth mother and my uncle.” Carla began to fold up the photo along the deep creases, evidenting it’s been folded many times before. “Mom probably told you about my uncle.”

 

“She said nothin’ about an uncle,” Cayde stated, not seeming to pay that much attention. “Is it from my side?”

 

Carla frowned. “Um...Yes. I would imagine she told you, since it’s Andal.”

 

That got Cayde listening. Faster than Rowan’s ever seen him, he lept up from his slouching position onto his feet and bound over to Carla with lightning speed. In less than a second, his horn barely brushed against her forehead.

 

“Did I hear you right?” He spoke, his throat light casting its glow on his daughter’s face. “Andal?”

 

“Yes.” Carla nodded slowly. “I saved Andal from a separate timeline when Taniks the Scarred was about to kill him. He helped raise me with Parisia.”

 

Cayde immediately grabbed her arms tightly. “Then where is he?!”

 

“I don’t know,” she answered, contrasting his stress with her calm. “I haven’t seen him for five years.”

 

Both of them stared silently at each other. Carla just didn’t know what to say, while Cayde just seemed to be processing. However, the results in his head seemed to be the equivalent to a printer’s paper jam.

 

Then Rowan decided to open his mouth. “Though when we started dating, we did say we’ll find him and her mom.”

 

Carla gave him the look she knew struck absolute terror in him. He may be the apparent god of light, but he was only being trained by an airheaded artist. He had every reason to fear the woman trained with one of the most deadliest sniper rifles known to the Guardians and could control time at a whim.

 

Cayde’s reaction was absolutely ecstatic. “So you’re gonna find him?!”

 

“Though we barely know where to start-” she began.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes! When are we headin’ out?”

 

“Uh...” Carla gently pushed Cayde away. “I’ll tell you when.”

 

“It better be soon!” Cayde bound away like a deer on all drugs in existence. “I’ll get my stuff ready!”

 

Once Cayde was long gone, Carla whipped her head to look at Rowan. Her eyes were the equivalent of laser beams piercing right into his chest and rotting him away slowly.

 

Finally, she growled, “Could you have at least waited to say something until we found Andal?”

 

Rowan rubbed his arm in a nervous manner. “Yea, I probably should have.”

 

Carla crossed her arms, looking away. “Realistically, it’ll be a miracle to find my family. My sister is safe at home, but if I check on her, I could potentially reveal the exact location of my home in the Walkways to the darkness. As for my mother and uncle, they’re probably not even in this timeline, and it’ll take them centuries on end to find this one.” Her frown wavered, and became more soft. “My uncle’s Ghost was destroyed. I don’t think he has centuries.”

 

Rowan sighed. “Yea. I’m sorry.”

 

Carla merely rolled her eyes. “Great Viajero, you’re a handful.”

 

At that, Rowan froze up, and the gears began to grind into motion in his mind. “Viajero?”

 

“It means Traveler in Spanish.” Carla shrugged. “I got it from my uncle.”

 

“This may sound weird, but can I look at that photo of yours?”

 

Carla pulled it out and held it forward. “Don’t damage it,” she warned.

 

“I won’t,” Rowan promised as he began to unfold it.

 

The man in the picture had his arm extending into the part that was torn and lost, as if he was placing it on someone’s shoulder. His outfit was almost completely identical to Cayde’s, except he was a brown-skinned human with hair pulled back into a slicked ponytail.

 

“I think...I think your uncle saved my life once,” Rowan finally declared, handing back the photo.

 

Carla didn’t fold it up, but held it in her hands as she stared at Rowan. “What?”

 

“When I was initially escaping Gristonne, I got lost in the city, and I was being tailed by some guards. I would have been caught if not for a sniper on the rooftops. He helped direct me out, but disappeared in a blue flash. He said ‘Great Viajero’.”

 

“Sniper...” Carla began to smile. “Yes. That was him. It had to have been.” Her smile turned into a grin. “You saw my uncle!”

 

“Only for a few minutes,” Rowan admitted. “And I have no idea where he went after that. He just teleported away.”

 

Carla frowned at that. “Teleport? He can’t teleport.”

 

Rowan thought for a moment more. “It seemed to be involuntarily. He seemed upset when he started to glow. That’s when he said Viajero.”

 

“Then...Do you think he’s been teleporting involuntarily this whole time?” A hint of worry crept into Carla’s voice. “For five years, supposedly bouncing all over the universe?”

 

“I don’t know,” Rowan answered, “but I don’t think that it’s good.”

 

Carla’s face turned grim. “We have to find him, and stop this teleportation issue.”

 

“But how do we track him?” Rowan asked. “We just confirmed that he could be anywhere in all of the infinite timelines!”

 

“You leave that to me. Go get my mom and dad.”

 

Rowan lingered for a few moments. When Carla nudged her head to grind in her point, he turned on his heel and ran off in the direction Cayde went in. Carla was once more alone with her thoughts.

 

By the time Rowan came back with Lucy and Cayde, Carla already had her lance out. She pointed it around in an agitated manner, the scowl on her face visible from a mile away.

 

As all three walked up, she let it vanish in blue dust. “Good. You’re here.”

 

“Tell us where we’re going,” Lucy grunted. “I can’t be gone for long, or Zavala’s gonna get agitated.”

 

“We’re entering the Walkways to find my uncle,” Carla answered. “It is our best bet currently.”

 

Cayde whooped with glee, pumping a fist. “Well, that was fast!”

 

Carla sighed. “There is no confirmed chance we’ll even see him to begin with, Dad. Don’t get too excited.”

 

Lucy laughed. “Too late, muffin. When your dad gets pumped, he gets pumped. End of story.”

 

“...Right.” Carla look away. “Anyways, we concluded that Andal is cursed with some form of involuntary teleportation, and most likely has been doing it for the past five years.”

 

Cayde scratched the back of his head. “Talk about an unwanted tour of the universe.”

 

Carla merely rolled her eyes before continuing. “Rowan, how long was Andal with you?”

 

“A few minutes?” Rowan guessed. “I don’t know. I wasn’t keeping track of the time. But he was definitely there for a while before he helped save me.”

 

“So we’ll safely say he stays in place for at least an hour or two,” Carla concluded. “He had no reason to linger in a time break, so he had to have just arrived when he bumped into Talli on that one occasion.”

 

“So when we do find him...what do we do?” Lucy questioned.

 

“It’s obvious that the teleportation seems to be linked to chrono magic,” Carla answered. “When we do find him, I just hope that I’ll be able to remove whatever spell that’s been put on him.”

 

Lucy gave a rare, genuine frown. “And what if you can’t?”

 

“We’ll...” Carla seemed to think, frowning. “We’ll have to think of something else, at the very least temporarily warding off the teleportation.”

 

Cayde still had a happy demeanor. “Well, good luck runs in the family. I bet we’ll find a way easy!”

 

“Still, I can’t help but worry,” Carla admitted as she began to sparkle blue with her magic.

 

Going into the Walkway was one fluid movement for her. For five years, she slid in and out of the timelines, finally coming to rest in the one that’s light drew her to it, the one she ended up in when the blast of chrono magic sent her flying out of the Walkways.

 

Now, she stood back in her birth home. By her on the path of stars, Rowan and her adoptive parents looked around in wonder. The infinite nebula swirled around them, lit up by the stars all around and off into the distance.

 

Lucy laughed. “This is your home? I’m jealous, muffin!”

 

Carla let her wings compress and fade from her back. “We aren’t staying for long. We just need to locate Andal, and this is the best place to start.”

 

Rowan scratched the back of his neck. “So, do we split up and go across the path in separate ways? How will this whole searching thing work?”

 

“You and I will go one, and my parents can go another way,” Carla answered, already beginning to walk away.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Cayde suddenly raised his voice. “Don’t try and pull the wool over my eyes! I’ve seen the teen flicks! I know what happens when boyfriend and girlfriend have the alone time!”

 

Carla’s face went up in red. “Dad!”

 

Cayde responded by pulling her into the protective crook of his arm. “My diamond’s goin’ with me. Lucy, can you handle her boyfriend?”

 

Lucy gave a mock salute. “Aye aye, cap’n!”

 

Rowan scoffed, finding this more amusing. “I feel that if anything, she’ll protect him.”

 

Carla shrugged a shoulder. “He’s kind of right, Dad.”

 

“What?” Cayde laughed. “Psh! Nah! I never get in that much danger!”

 

Lucy hopped onto the bandwagon, placing her hands on her hips and shifting her weight to one leg. “Like that one time you were caught in the Vex time loop?”

 

Cayde huffed at that. “It was a good idea.”

 

“At the time,” his wife retorted.

 

It wasn’t long before they entered an argument. While Lucy’s side was more playful, Cayde was getting more irritated and mockingly offended by the second. Sometimes it was hard to tell that the cold and calculating Carla was the future version of the children of these two.

 

Rowan stood in place awkwardly until he felt a tug on his arm. As he looked, he felt himself dragged away by Carla down the road as her parents continued to bicker.

 

“Shouldn’t I be going with Lucy?” Rowan questioned.

 

“Ignore them,” Carla answered. “They’ll be just fine.”

 

Rowan got onto his feet, and soon was walking right behind Carla. “What exactly are we looking for?”

 

“To be honest, I don’t know,” Carla admitted. “The universe is wide and expansive, new parts being made and old ones being destroyed daily.” She stopped walking altogether, and her voice dropped in volume. “What’s to say Andal wasn’t in one of those old parts?”

 

“Don’t think like that.” Rowan shook his head.

 

Carla looked back. “I’m surprised you don’t think like that, seeing what has been done to you.”

 

“Haven’t you heard the saying?”

 

“What saying?”

 

Rowan directed his attention to gazing out into the Walkways. “The loneliest people are the kindest. The saddest people smile the brightest. The most damaged people are the wisest.” He chuckled, letting his sad smile show. “All because they do not wish to see anyone else suffer the way they do.”

 

Immediately, that bright smile he mentioned was plastered to his face, as if nothing was wrong. His misty eyes betrayed him. “If I give in to it all, Fox would win, wouldn’t he? He’s taken so much from me. I at least want some kind of victory in the end.” He forced out a childish laugh. “Besides, I’m Light Incarnate. A guy the Luxonia sung about in legends. So many people see Light Incarnate as a strong warrior that perseveres. They don’t want to see a scrawny and weak kid.”

 

“That doesn’t mean you act as the Atlas of the entire universe!” Carla suddenly snapped.

 

Rowan’s smile vanished. “Atlas?”

 

“A Titan in Greek mythology. He was condemned by Zeus himself to stand at the western edge of the earth and hold the sky upon his shoulders for all eternity.”

 

“What does Atlas have to do with me?”

 

“Rowan, I don’t mean to offend, but I don’t think you’re...well-equipped to take upon this responsibility. Just because you learned you have Luxonia heritage doesn’t mean that you’re immediately the one everyone looks to for guidance, and the universe’s only hope.” Carla sighed. “The prophecy has been said and done. The Shadow Incarnate is dead. And that means that you don’t have to be the hero.”

 

“But I do!” Rowan argued. “I have to be a warrior! Someone that makes it through it all! I don’t want to be a coward that dies in bed from sickness!” For a moment, his mind was elsewhere. “I can’t be like that. I’ll never be like him.”

 

Carla frowned. “Him?”

 

“The late king of Aytolis. King Regis.” Rowan paused, as if the next words disgusted him. “My father.”

 

“The one who preferred your sister over you?” Carla guessed.

 

He gave a dry laugh. “Who else? He left me to die in enemy hands, and just sent some random soldier to save me. He barely even acknowledged me when I came back.” He paused, then looked at Carla. “What’s it like to have a father, anyways?”

 

“I don’t know,” she responded. “I only got one just recently.”

 

“Then your biological father?”

 

“...Long dead.” Carla's voice became strained.

 

Rowan looked down, now much more quiet. “He probably would have loved you.”

 

“I had an uncle, a sister, and a mother.” Carla put her hand on Rowan’s shoulder. “And you had your mother and sister, right?”

 

He nodded. “Right.”

 

“So forget the ones that never loved us, or weren’t there to. We must cherish the family that we have, because every single one of them is unique. If you lose them, it would be impossible to regain them.” Gently, she framed Rowan’s face, which was damp with tears unwillingly shed. “Can you do that? Cherish your loved ones?”

 

“Honestly, I only have one, and I think she knows how much I cherish her.”

 

Carla responded by gently kissing his forehead. “I do.”

 

What a whimsical sight it had to have been. A boy in gold, modern clothing standing a few inches below a chrono angel holding his head with the utmost care. While he seemed practically normal and her unique and exquisite, on the inside, the roles had to be practically reversed. She was just a normal chrono angel, albeit the most powerful. He was the Light Incarnate the Luxonia spoke and praised of.

 

Rowan moved to wipe his tears. “Thanks,” he softly murmured.

 

“Thank you for launching headfirst into my life like the reckless fool you are,” Carla replied.

 

“Well?” Rowan gestured them on. “Don’t we have an uncle to find?”

 

“Oh. Right!” Carla smiled, and began walking along. “We should be getting a move on, shouldn’t we?”

 

They walked in complete silence for most of their stay in the Walkways. The only sounds existing in the area were Carla’s elevated boots walking across the path, and Rowan’s shoes following.

 

“What happens if we don’t find him?” Rowan spoke up.

 

“We return to our timeline,” Carla answered. “It is a rare chance that we’ll even see him.”

 

“What was it you sait?” Both stopped at a third voice. “Dat luck ran in your family as long as you gamblet on it?”

 

Their heads whipped around to look just behind them. As blue dust drifted out of existence around his body, and the blue glow faded from his arm, a hooded figure sat on the ground, relaxing as if he had been there the whole time. A messed-up ponytail went down to his side, and his forming beard was messily trimmed, showing a lack of hair maintenance.

 

Carla seemed to try and correctly articulate her words. “U...Uncle?”

 

Andal Brask rubbed his face. “Sorry about de jhair,” he apologized. “It’s jhart to get enough time to cut ant trim when it’s jhart enough to get a goot night’s sleep.”

 

“It is you,” Rowan realized. “You’re the guy that saved my life.”

 

“I’m as surpriset as you are. Normally, when I jhelp somebody, I get teleportet away by dis stupit arm, and I neber see dem again.”

 

“So it is involuntary,” Rowan guessed.

 

Andal stared at the arm which had glowed. “I say I got a couple of jhours jhere.” He looked at Carla and smiled. “You dink dat's enough time to get rit of whateber dis is? You were raiset by a jhealer, after all.”

 

Carla said nothing. Instead, she sprinted full-on to Andal. Skidding onto her knees, she enveloped him into a tight hug. Rowan watched this, smiling.

 

“Hey, hey!” Andal laughed. “You might not want to do dat! I jhaven’t jhad a proper bath in a while.”

 

Carla sniffed and recoiled, putting her hand on her nose. “I can tell.” She laughed. “I guess I should try and remove the teleportation so you could get one.”

 

Rowan walked over, placing one hand in his jacket pocket and using the other to wave. “I guess we never properly met. I’m Rowan.”

 

Andal waved as Carla firmly grasped his other arm. “De name’s Andal. But if you’re wit my niece, I guess you already knew dat.” He chuckled. “What are you, jher boyfrient?”

 

The sarcasm made Rowan smirk. “Wow. You’re that perceptive?”

 

Andal paused. “You’re actually dating jher?”

 

Carla giggled. “This is our first subject of interest after five years of being apart. Let’s not make it end in a fight.”

 

Andal flinched in pain when his arm flashed blue. “Ow!”

 

“Sorry,” she apologized. “This probably will hurt.”

 

“Tell me beforehand, will you?” Andal grunted, but had no actual irritation in his voice.

 

All three sat in silence for a few minutes. Andal and Carla both watched his arm pulse with blue, the veins lighting underneath his sleeve. Rowan hung out a few feet away, careful to try not to disturb Carla attempting to diffuse what was basically a teleporting bomb in Andal’s blood.

 

Finally, Carla exhaled, and suddenly looked a lot more tired. “I think I got it,” she murmured.

 

The sniper flexed his hand. “You did,” he declared. “For de past fibe years, the arm’s been burning, but it was just irritating, not painful. De sensation’s gone, now.” He rubbed his arm. “It really feels weird, but relieving.”

 

Rowan smiled. “So that means you won’t teleport in blue dust all over the place?”

 

“Seems to be the case.” Andal laughed. “Does dis mean I can sleep in a real bed for once?”

 

“Once we get the Hunter Vanguard and Cayde, then we will!” Rowan confirmed.

 

Andal frowned. “I dought Cayde became de Jhunter Vanguart. Dit jhe not complete de dare in your timeline?”

 

“No, he did!” Rowan replied. “He just was...put out of commission, and by the time he recovered, his wife Lucy-1 took his place!”

 

Andal frowned. “What do you mean, out of commission?”

 

“We’ll explain later.” Carla helped up Andal. “Hopefully, Mom and Dad didn’t go too far.”

 

Rowan looked up. “Well, I think they went looking for us.”

 

Carla looked up, too. Not too far away, both Cayde and Lucy stood, staring right back at them. Lucy just was a mellow surprise at the addition to their party while Cayde’s jaw was on the ground.

 

“...Andal?” He stammered.

 

Andal froze in place. His hand still lingering on Carla’s shoulder, he tested out his voice to see if it shook or gave away his emotions. “Cayde.”

 

Cayde took a step forward, then another. Before Lucy could stop him, he was in an all-out sprint. Andal stepped back, but only from the force of the Exo’s body slamming into him for a tight hug.

 

“You reek,” Cayde commented, voice shaking like his entire body did.

 

Andal returned the hug. “Jhaben't jhad de time for a proper bath recently. I missed you too, amigo.” He pulled away from the hug, placing both of his hands on Cayde’s shoulders. “Jhow long jhas it been since my departure? For me, it was twenty years.”

 

“A century for me,” Cayde admitted. “And let me tell you, the past five years? Chaos beyond chaos. You wouldn’t believe.”

 

“Tell me when I got a jhaircut, a bath, and a goot night’s sleep.” Andal laughed at his own joke.

 

The five were quick to return to their own timeline. It wasn’t long before all five of them stood together in the same room that was used to enter the Walkways without any disturbance from other residents in the Tower.

 

Immediately, something came to Lucy’s mind. “Should we tell the Commander? About...” She gestured to Andal.

 

It struck Rowan how he stood out between them all. His clothes weren’t torn, but were absolutely filthy. His ponytail was messily done and overgrown, and looked nothing like the neat and small one in the partially-torn photo Carla held with her. A beard has formed on his face, and was hurriedly cut in some parts. He almost looked like a homeless person.

 

“Tell him, but remember to throw in he’s gonna enter a coma,” Cayde decided. “He obviously needs some time for himself before he enters a meet and greet.”

 

They decided on Cayde’s home. Lucy would go ahead and tell the other Vanguard members what had taken place. Meanwhile, the other three snuck Andal away, avoiding any straying eyes, and arrived just as the sun was beginning to set.

 

Carla found her present version of herself sitting on the couch and playing with a white giraffe when they entered. She found herself pained at the fact that neither of her parents really had that much free time for her. It was wrong for a five-year-old to be accustomed to staying alone at home when her Guardian babysitter was pulled away last minute by their duties.

 

Talli looked up at Andal. “You’re dressed like Daddy,” she immediately realized.

 

Andal chuckled. “I’m bery close to your dad. I uset to be jhis partner.”

 

“Don’t use past tense!” Cayde called from the bathroom.

 

Rowan sat down next to Talli, and found himself immediately latched on to. Talli, much like Carla, liked him very much. In time, he found himself playing along with her imaginary games very easily. It reminded him of happier times he had with his sister, times he can never regain.

 

“Oh my god, uncle.”

 

Rowan was snapped out of their latest game of knights and princesses. Taking off the tiara as Talli lowered her knight’s sword and shield, he looked at Carla in the bathroom doorway. “What’s the problem?”

 

Looking, he identified exactly was the problem was. The bath was overflowing with bubbles, and there was Andal’s head in the center of it. The best part was that he looked absolutely ecstatic at this outcome.

 

His reply was a mere, “It was de entire bottle!”

 

Soap bubbles have taken over the entire bathroom as Andal practically drowned in them. Even worse, when Carla informed Cayde, he practically just started laughing, and even joked about joining Andal. However, he managed to keep a straight face and promised to clean it up when Carla threatened to tell Lucy.

 

Andal refused to get out of the bathtub initially, finding it the best bath he’s ever taken. However, he was convinced by Cayde, finally, and got out, leaving soap bubbles in his wake. Only then did he realize that he may have went overboard.

 

“May?!” Cayde exclaimed when Andal said this. “My wife’s gonna kill us, you know that?”

 

“Maybe she won’t?” Andal nervously said, having a towel wrapped around his waist.

 

“Oh, no. If we don’t get this cleaned up, she’s gonna flip.”

 

Talli walked in, looking around. “Bubbles?”

 

“No, Talli!” Cayde immediately herded her out. “Away from the bubbles! Bubbles aren’t for playin’!”

 

As the others moved to clean up the mess, Andal started to clean himself up. Taking a scissor to his hair, he practically cut off a few good inches. Now, it was back to being at the same height as his chest, like in the picture.

 

Rubbing shaving cream on his face, Andal looked back at Cayde. “So, your wife. Jhave you known jher dat long?”

 

“Five years,” Cayde confirmed, wiping up the last of the stray soap.

 

“Can I know de story, by any chance?”

 

“Well, back then, she wasn’t a Guardian. She woke up on the verge of death with no memory of who she was. A woman named Madelyn who’s become known for helpin’ out refugees to the City helped her out. They’re really good friends, now.”

 

Cayde balled up the soaked paper towels and tossed them into the trash. “She made it to the City and found herself in our favorite ramen place, tryin' to fix herself up. That’s where I met her for the first time. I took her in, patched her up, and gave her a place to stay for the night and a name. Lucy-1.”

 

“Se looket jhuman. Is se a Reploid?”

 

Cayde laughed. “You’ve learned a lot on your adventures in the Walkways, haven’t you?”

 

Andal frowned. “So if se’s a Reploid, jhow dit se end up in your world, in our part of dis timeline?”

 

“Well, back then, we hadn’t a clue. But now, we got clues. A notorious figure in the war that changed her previous life is workin _’_ for the Shadow Queen. The injuries on her body were similar to Umbrati claw marks.”

 

“So, de Shadow Queen droppet jher in our world ant meant for jher to die?” Andal guessed.

 

“Bingo.”

 

Andal placed the razor on his chin and began to drag it along. “When dit se become a Guardian?”

 

Cayde paused. “When she died to stop Cabal from flankin’ the Guardians in the Red War. The Traveler woke up, and her Ghost Echo was created.” He chuckled. “I was probably flippin’ my lid.” He reached over to put away the towel roll, then flinched. “Ow.”

 

Andal looked. “Are you okay?”

 

“Yea. I just got in a really bad position with the Umbra Mondo.” Cayde rolled his shoulder. “Got captured and tortured. I don’t remember it, and honestly, seein’ the condition they put my body in, I’m glad I don’t.”

 

Andal managed to finish his shave by the time his outfit was fully cleaned. Cayde passed it over to him, and less than twenty minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, clean as can be.

 

Andal ran a hand through his hair. “Dis feels soft,” he murmured. “I like dat feeling.”

 

With that, it was time to see friendly faces again. Talli tagged in last in the small crowd, so Rowan decided to put her on his shoulders. He didn’t even mind when she placed her giraffe in his hair.

 

Lucy was waiting for them by the Vanguard Hall door. “Nice to see that you cleaned yourself up, buddy.” She smiled at Andal, as if they were always lifelong friends.

 

Andal returned it. “Jhow many people are inside?”

 

Lucy immediately opened the door all of the way. “The entire goddamn Tower!” She cheered as she revealed the Guardians stacked in the hall, staring at the small group.

 

The entire room erupted in cheers. Numerous Guardians moved to dogpile on Andal, sending him crashing to the ground. Cayde gave a loud laugh as Lucy comforted Zavala and Ikora, both struggling to not shed any tears at the pure joy of regaining a friend thought long lost.

 

Andal himself began to sob. Not at the pain of being crushed by so many bodies, though it did hurt. He was just so happy to see so many friendly faces after so many years.

 

They celebrated, of course. A few more renegade Guardians pulled out drinks, much to the dismay of their Ghosts and Zavala, and soon, shots were being delivered all around. The entire Hall was practically trashed, something Lucy worried about a bit as she managed to move the party to a more appropriate place.

 

Andal escaped amidst the chaos. While he was one for parties, he wanted to do something else right now.

 

He found himself sitting on one of the edges of the Tower, overlooking the city. In his hands was a sleek acoustic guitar. He ran his hands over it, satisfied in the good shape it was still in. He found it in Cayde’s room, safely held in a case that he easily opened. He did hide the key to the lock in an obvious spot, after all.

 

His fingers lightly tapped on the strings, and he listened to the sound that they made. When he was satisfied with how they were tuned, he began to play out a song he remembered.

 

A few notes were sour in the beginning, but by the time he began singing, he was correctly playing the old tune.

 

_“It’s all the same, only the names will change_

_Everyday, it seems we’re wastin’ away_

_Another place where the faces are so cold_

_I drive all night just to get back home_

_I’m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride_

_I’m wanted dead or alive_

_Wanted dead or alive”_

 

When Andal stopped singing, he was suddenly aware of another presence. His head whipped to look to the side to look at the person.

 

He was beautiful. With shaggy brown hair and tanned skin like him, dark blue eyes stared at him as he sat there, clutching his guitar.

 

Andal immediately stumbled over his words, finding it hard to speak. Eyes wide, he took in the boy’s entire form and presence. He found himself nearly in tears once he stared into his eyes and found them so familar yet so different.

 

When he spoke, he found himself breaking at his voice, too. “You play really well.”

 

“D...Dank you.” Andal recovered his voice at a volume too loud, trying hard to not cry then and there. It was too similar. Those eyes mocked him without meaning to and burned straight into his chest, bringing nothing back but the memories of blood on his hands and tearful begging directed to those eyes to not be taken by the darkness.

 

The boy only laughed. “The name’s Lance. I’m one of the Paladins of Voltron.”

 

“A-Andal,” he quivered. “Andal Brask.”

 

“You know, I can play the guitar too,” Lance said as if the name meant nothing to him. “Though all the songs I know are in Spanish.”

 

At that, Andal perked up. A difference he had to focus on to avoid sobbing. “I speak Spanish!” He quickly declared. “Really well! I understant it really well!”

 

Lance laughed a bit. “Then do you want me to play a song?”

 

Andal quickly stuck out his arms, guitar in hand. “You can!”

 

The younger man sat down, taking the guitar. “Thanks.” He investigated it. “Wow, this is really well made.”

 

As Lance began to tune the guitar to his needs, Andal stuck his hands between his legs in an awkward manner. “So...Voltron.”

 

“Don’t worry, you aren’t missing much,” Lance assured him. “Voltron hasn’t even formed once this entire so-called war.” He laughed to himself, and strummed the guitar. “Yea, that’s good.” He shifted to sit more comfortably on the edge.

 

“Is de Tower nice?” Andal asked for an icebreaker as Lance began playing.

 

“Yea. It is.” Lance took in a breath.

 

_“Yo te miro, se me corta la respiración_

_Cuando tú me miras se me sube el corazón_

_Y en silencio tú mirada dice mil palabras_

_La noche en la que te suplico que no salga el sol_

_Bailando, bailando, bailando, bailando_

_Tu cuerpo y el mío llenando el vacío_

_Subiendo y bajando_

_Bailando, bailando, bailando, bailando_

_Ese fuego por dentro me va enloqueciendo_

_Me va saturando”_

 

As Lance continued on, singing out into the sky, Andal watched him with an expression of remembrance. Resting his head in one hand, he watched him with teary eyes, focusing more on the boy himself than the song.


	8. Girl's Best Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Talli  
> -Andal  
> -Lucy-1  
> -Cayde-6  
> -Virion  
> -Sapphire  
> -Various characters mentioned
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Fates are predicted, and Talli makes her first friend.

“Jhey, Talli. Can I play?”

 

Talli looked up at Andal sitting on the opposite side of the table across from her as a large stack of cards was held in her hands. “Sure you can!”

 

Andal pulled down his hood, rubbing the beginning of a stubble on his chin. “So, what are we playing? Poker? Blackjack?”

 

Talli merely began shuffling the cards. “Just wait and see!”

 

Slightly amused, Andal raised an eyebrow, but let her continue shuffling. He watched her fumble a few times, then finally slap a card in front of him.

 

He picked it up and stared at it. “...Dis is a tarot cart.”

 

“Wrong!” Talli retorted. “It’s your future!”

 

“I don’t dink dis is jhow tarot cart readings work,” Andal said as Talli opened a book lying next to her.

 

Ignoring him, she flipped the pages. “So, you got the Fool, didn’t you? And it’s reversed!” She suddenly stood up on her chair, pointing at Andal. “You are holding back! Or not holding back at all! You are a huge risk-taker!”

 

Andal looked like he was taken off-guard by the sudden declaration. “I, uh...guess I am.” He cleared his throat. “Please sit down before you fall out of your seat.”

 

Talli did so, plopping back down into the chair as she began shuffling. “Wanna do it again?”

 

“No. No, I’m good. Why don’t you try your parents?”

 

“Oh, I already did!” Talli clarified. “Daddy got the reversed Magician, and Mommy got the reversed Sun!” She frowned. “Everybody is getting the bad meanings. I wonder why.” She began shuffling again. “And before you ask, it won’t work if I do it on myself!”

 

“Den why don’t we go and see what other people get?” Andal stated as he stood up. “I was entrustet by Cayde to watch you, but I don’t jhave to watch you in just de house.”

 

“Okay!” Talli put the book under her arm, and placed the cards in a small tin box that went into her satchel. “I’ll be right behind you, Uncle!”

 

Andal almost squeed at that. Talli was quick to adapt to both Carla and Andal, and called them both ‘Big Sis’ and ‘Uncle’, respectively. He could remember when Carla was like that, though that only made him bitterly remember those moments are long gone.

 

Leading Talli by the hand, they both navigated throughout the Tower. Talli went up to various people and asked them to play her game of tarot cards with her. All of them said yes, unwilling to ignore such an innocent child’s wishes.

 

Lynaria pulled a reversed Judgement card while Zeta pulled the upright Hanged Man. Takumi broke into laughter when both Keith and his partner Deimos pulled the upright Lovers cards, though stopped laughing when he received an upright Tower, which Talli explained meant chaos and destruction. Upon encouragement by Andal, Lance pulled a reversed Lovers, which actually made him gasp visibly.

 

Talli looked up. “Is that good?” She asked Andal.

 

“Well, Tal...It's complicated.”

 

“...Do you not like Lance and Ms. Allura together?”

 

Andal smiled bitterly. “Not really.”

 

Despite the conference, Talli was undeterred in her mission. Moving on, she had Krolia pull out an upright Empress, and Commander Zavala the reversed Devil. Ikora pulled an upright Justice, and Shiro the reversed Hierophant. Talli couldn’t help but worry about all of the reversed cards, as they usually were the bad ones.

 

Andal and Talli walked along side by side, looking for their next player, when somebody lightly bumped into Andal. The feeling of a pauldron alerted him to the passerby.

 

“Oh. Very sorry!” They spoke in a rich, accented tone. “I wasn’t heeding where I was stepping.”

 

“It’s alright,” Andal replied. “I jhaven’t seen you around, before.”

 

“Oh, well that is simply because the transport ship me and my family were on just landed a few hours ago. Up until now, I have never even set foot into the Tower.” The man in blue politely bowed. “I am the archery captain of the Cocoon Virion. The dutiful husband of the secretary Libra, and father of the darling and innocent Sapphire!”

 

Andal looked a bit nervous. “I’ve neber heard of any of you, but I’m new jhere, too. De name’s Andal Brask. I’m a sniper, and part chrono angel.”

 

“Part? I was unaware that the mythical angels that have become much more common knowledge had any members beyond purebred ones.”

 

“Well, I wasn’t born part chrono angel, per say...”

 

As the two men continued their discussion, Talli noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Turning to the side, she could see just over a table a large sun hat moving along. The wearer was tinier than the table, and the hat hung loosely on their head, judging by the way it bounced.

 

“Who’s that?” Talli pointed.

 

Virion looked. “Oh. That is the beautiful gem I had mentioned. Sapphire!” The hat stopped moving. “Somebody wants to meet you!”

 

After a moment, the hat moved again, though slower. The young girl watched as a small figure moved out to peek at her.

 

The tiny girl was thinner than her, with dirty blond hair that curled at the end. One eye was green, but the other was a shimmering blue. She wore a beige sundress, and had sandals with straps on them.

 

Talli waved. “Hello!” She cheerfully called, and the girl immediately ducked back behind the table.

 

Virion navigated his way over to her. “Oh, come now,” he said. “Don’t be shy. I don’t believe she’ll hurt you.”

 

Sapphire emerged again from the table. This time, she managed to make herself walk over to Talli. While she was thinner, Talli noted that she certainly was taller.

 

“Please forgive her,” Virion apologized. “She has never had a friend before.”

 

“Hey, same here!” Talli declared. “Since I live at the Tower, I never really have communicated with any children my age!”

 

“Well, Sapphire’s case is...different.” Virion frowned. “Due to her eyes, she was bullied by other children at the orphanage in the Cocoon. Even worse, her birth mother died in childbirth, and she was narrowly saved, but suffered damage to her vocal cords and lungs. She has never uttered a word in her life, and suffers from asthma.”

 

Andal scowled. “Let me guess, jher dad gave jher up?”

 

“Instantly,” Virion confirmed. “Only a year ago did we adopt her. She’s seven, now. Six years with nobody to turn to...how traumatizing for a small, defenseless girl. Libra and I swore to be the best fathers we could, though it is hard with Libra being one of the main figures representing the number one otherworlder city on our Earth.”

 

“So you’re a stay-at-jhome dad?”

 

“You can say the archery captain is much more available and has more free time than the secretary.” Virion looked at Sapphire shying away from the enthusiastic Talli. “Darling, she doesn’t bite.”

 

He turned to continue with Andal. “Unfortunately, the damage was done. She can’t go to normal school because of her silence, and I have taken up the mantle of homeschooling her. She doesn’t want to perform any attempts to make friends. It doesn’t help that we were moved here by Spider’s orders in order to establish a more firm connection between the Cocoon and the Alliance.”

 

“So, your family will be living jhere?”

 

“For the time being. It does not bode well in the slightest for Sapphire’s social learning skills.”

 

Andal smiled. “Well, Talli neber jhas jhad a playmate before. Maybe dey can play together?”

 

Virion sighed. “If it were that easy. Sapphire actively avoids people her age.”

 

“Talli naturally goes to dem. I don’t dink your daughter is escaping so easily.”

 

True to Andal’s words, Talli began to constantly follow the older one around. Sapphire easily hid herself with her hat, but Talli was also not one to take ‘no’ for an answer.

 

Just the next day, Lucy noticed Talli covering the table with craft supplies. “Whatcha got there, honey?” She asked.

 

“I’m making a present for Sapphire!” Talli declared.

 

“Sapphire, huh? Is she new?”

 

“Yea. You wouldn’t know her!”

 

Just an hour later, Talli was out the door, holding her creation in hand. Lucy and Cayde obviously weren’t happy about the mess she left the table in, but shrugged it off. Her dad got to work on cleaning it while her uncle managed to leg it after her to keep a close eye on her.

 

Talli found Sapphire sitting nearby Amanda’s station. Curling up in a chair she was drawing in a sketchbook she identified as Gabriel’s. The Luxonia in question hung back a bit, watching her as he leaned on a table.

 

Surprisingly, Gabriel spoke like a normal person, putting a leash on his normal rambles. “You have a very pretty art style.”

 

As Sapphire smiled at him, Talli skipped up. “Hi, Sapphire!” She chirped, startling her and making her fumble for the sketchbook she nearly dropped.

 

Gabriel smiled. “Hello, Talli!”

 

Talli scrambled onto the table Gabriel leaned on. “I drew you!” She stuck out the picture. “I may have made the hat too big.”

 

Sapphire gently took it and looked at it. It was of her, no doubt by the beige and blue colors used. And yes, the hat was even more bigger than it already was in the picture. But what mattered is that it was a picture. Of her. That somebody drew for her.

 

“Hey, Gabriel!” Talli turned her attention to the Luxonia. “Do you wanna pull a tarot card?”

 

“Why, of course!” Gabriel smiled. “Who would turn down such a nice offer?”

 

Talli pulled out her tin of tarot cards from her satchel and cracked it open before holding some out. “Go ahead! Pick one!”

 

In a fluid motion, Gabriel pulled out a card and displayed it to Talli. “Ah-ha!” He declared. “An upright Star!”

 

“Which means hope and faith after a point of turmoil!” She finished.

 

“I certainly was caught in a point of turmoil,” Gabriel agreed. “It will be hard to show my face in the Lux Mondo again.”

 

Talli was alerted to a tapping on her shoulder. She looked behind her to see Sapphire staring at her, holding her picture. Her eyes were focused on Talli, but once she knew that she was looking, she pointed at the tin of tarot cards.

 

“I think she may want to have a reading herself,” Gabriel translated.

 

“Well, okay!” Talli takes back the Star card, placing it back in. After shuffling the deck for a few seconds, she sticks it out to Sapphire. “Go ahead and pick one!”

 

Sapphire hesitated, either trying to decide which one to do or mentally preparing herself for a bad omen. Her hand reached out, and she pulled out a card.

 

“The reversed Tower?” Talli frowned. “That means you may be going through personal change, and letting go of old parts of yourself to make way for the new. You could also learn of a disaster beforehand, and learn to minimize it.” She smiled. “Though honestly, I prefer the first! What about you?”

 

Sapphire handed back the card, and pulled something out of her dress pocket. It was a notepad, with a pencil held fast in the rings. She pulled out the pencil, and wrote on the notepad before showing it to Talli.

 

‘Why do you want to befriend a freak?’

 

Talli gasped. “A freak? You aren’t a freak! It isn’t your fault you have special eyes, or can’t talk, or can’t exercise like other people can! It’s the universe’s fault!”

 

‘Yes, but nobody ever wanted to befriend me.’ Sapphire started a new page. ‘Do you just have no other option?’

 

“Well, kind of that. But I know you don’t want to be alone. And I like you.”

 

‘Why?’

 

“Because I do!” Talli pouted. “I don’t need a reason to like somebody! I like the Guardian that is always seen by the Black Paladin Keith! I like the mercenary couple and their apprentice-slash-child! I like everybody here! So logically, I like you, too! So stop hating yourself, or I’ll like you for the both of us!” Talli gasped. “That would be the change I predicted! The change that would make you stop hating yourself!”

 

Both of them stared at each other. Talli paused, noticing Sapphire’s eyes were red. She looked to see the picture she made having wet spots on it.

 

“Were you crying? Did you not like it?”

 

‘I loved it, and that’s why I was crying. Nobody has drawn something for me before.’

 

“Well, then I’m happy to be the first. You’re welcome, Sapphire!”

 

Sapphire set aside the card still in her hand. Her thin arms wrapped around Talli, and pulled her into a hug. The younger one didn’t even mind when Sapphire’s oversized sun hat whacked against her face.

 

“Does this mean we are friends?” Talli asked innocently, but still hugged back.

 

She could feel Sapphire nod against her shoulder.


	9. Friends of the Feather

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Pidge  
> -Ikora  
> -Zavala  
> -Shiro  
> -Cayde-6  
> -Hunk  
> -Eva Levante  
> -Takumi  
> -Lance  
> -Allura
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Pidge is fed up with a few things.

Pidge was definitely angry.  
  
By now, everybody and their estranged mother knew of Zavala and Takashi Shirogane's relationship. They were commonly seen together while on the job, though neither actually participated in any fights on the field. People commonly mistook them as a couple, to which they always replied they were merely friends. Pidge could tell that it was not just friends on Zavala's side, judging by his flustered reactions to these claims.  
  
Ikora noticed her assistant's sour attitude when she caught her with her head on the desk. "What's frustrated you now?"  
  
"Zavala," Pidge answered, voice muffled by the table.  
  
Ikora raised an eyebrow at that. "You've barely interacted with him. How have you gotten into a disagreement that I didn't hear of?"  
  
"No. We didn't argue." Pidge lifted her head. "I'm just mad at him doing the whole denying feelings thing he's been doing."  
  
"You mean with Takashi?" Ikora sighed. "Yes, I have noticed it to. I can confirm for a fact Zavala has developed feelings for him."  
  
"You know so easily?"  
  
"I have been Zavala's comrade and work partner for quite a long time, Katie." Ikora smiled. "I could tell the moment Zavala assigned Takashi to be his partner."  
  
Pidge shot to attention at that. "He what?!"  
  
"Not assign, per say, but ask. I never managed to hear Takashi's answer, but I know it was yes, because I saw him assisting Zavala with paperwork." Ikora chuckled. "Zavala can handle his paperwork just fine. His work isn't nearly as cumbersome as mine. I think it was probably just an excuse to place Takashi in a position close to him."  
  
Pidge grinned at that. "So we are right! He does like Shiro!"  
  
"I can believe so. But I doubt he'll even come close to admitting it." Ikora pat Pidge on the back. "I personally would drop the subject, if I were you."  
  
The young teenager only flashed a finger gun in response. "Well, you aren't me," she replied in a joking tone.  
  
Ikora replied with a raised eyebrow. "That is true." She cleared her throat. "Anyways, you've done all you can. You're dismissed for the day."  
  
"Thanks, Ikora." Pidge slid out of her seat, moving towards the Vanguard Hall door.  
  
The young girl sometimes left the Tower on recon missions with the Green Lion. However, besides the Burning of Ylisse, no major attacks have been performed for the past month. The missions seemed pointless, with no trace of Umbrati, but she couldn't just flake out on them.  
  
When she wasn't doing the missions, she hung out around the Tower, watching the Guardians fool about with their equally goofy friends from Lore. Occasionally, she would see the paladin Artix tromp forward, his trio of kinderguardians following him like a herd of ducklings.  
  
Now, she sat outside, witnessing a small group of about five people play around with a purple ball. They followed it like a pack, kicking it out of her sight. Once they came back, the ball would be in a different color, and they would scramble to another part of the Tower, kicking it with them.  
  
She had no idea a second ball was there. She discovered it was when she heard the sound of a dodgeball hitting skin the same time a force collided with the back of her head.  
  
As the dodgeball bounced back, she looked over her shoulder, rubbing her head. "Ow!" She snapped. "What gives?"  
  
Cayde caught the ball with both hands, an Exo smile plastered on his face. "Hey, Pigeon."  
  
Pidge scowled. "Oh. Cayde."  
  
Cayde seemed to mock being offended. "You don't sound excited to see your favorite Hunter!"  
  
"Lucy-1 is my favorite Hunter."  
  
He paused. "Well, if I try to argue against that, I'll be in a bit of trouble with my wife." He tossed the ball again, though this time Pidge caught it. "What brings you out here instead of the library?"  
  
"I wanted fresh air," she replied, beginning to toss the ball up and down. "Is that a problem?"  
  
"Well, nah. Not really." Cayde sat down too, leaning on his arms and looking up. "Man, I'm bored."  
  
"Don't you have a child?" Pidge sarcastically asked.  
  
"She's with her uncle, who is an expert at not bein' able to be found by me. A.K.A, no idea where they are."  
  
That somehow made her laugh. "I guess that irritates you?"  
  
"Well, I know that she's always gonna pick me over him, so I'm not too worried."  
  
Pidge looked over to the side. Lamce was at the railing with Allura, both of them holding hands while staring out into the sky. A distance away, Mithrax watched like a curious child, though didn't disturb them.  
  
"To be honest, I'm kind of impressed Lance and Allura's relationship has lasted this long, especially when there was such a pause in between them," Pidge admitted.  
  
Cayde cocked an eyebrow up, figuratively speaking. "Why do you say that?"  
  
"When they got together, it was just after Allura broke up with a guy who turned out to be kind of a psychopath. I kept thinking that it was too soon for her to move on. I thought she was using him as..."  
  
"A rebound," the Exo guessed.  
  
"Yea. You could say that. I just...got worried when she said they'll go on a date. Like it was too soon, and it wouldn't end up well." She smiled. "But it did. And I'm sure that they're happy."  
  
Cayde looked over. "Hey, I got a question."  
  
"I got an answer. Shoot."  
  
"What do you mean by a pause? Did they break up, then get back together?"  
  
Pidge frowned. "Well...no. In order to save the universe when it was nearly destroyed entirely, Allura sacrificed herself. That was a year ago. Just before we all were brought here by Carla, our Lions suddenly left us with no explanation. Even more, Lance, who had markings identical to Allura's, lost his when they vanished after glowing. A day later, the Lions returned, and Allura was inside the Blue Lion."   
  
She laughed. "There was a huge celebration, of course. In fact, we were still celebrating..." She stopped smiling altogether. "When we were summoned."  
  
"You alright over there, Pigeon?"  
  
"It's just...every world has been found. Lore, the Cocoon's Earth, Nohr and Hoshido and Valla...but our Earth is still out there. Our Milky Way has yet to be found. We could be on the other side of space from it, for all we know. And...our families there don't know where we are. We just vanished, right before their eyes and taking our Lions with us."  
  
Cayde noticed the tears before Pidge did. "Hey, hey! Don't cry!"  
  
"Well, I can't help it!" Pidge moved to wipe them away. "Who knows what they're thinking right now? We have no way to contact them, and they probably are worrying their heads off! I have parents and a brother, Hunk has a mom and a dad, Lance has his entire family..."  
  
She could feel a hand gripping her own. "Hey. Pidge, Katie, whatever. Look at me." She did, sniffling. "Would your family want to see you like this? Wouldn't they be proud that you're doin' something great? You're helpin' save the entire universe again! Who wouldn't cheer on for their kid if they were doin' that?" Cayde gave her a light, friendly noogie. "Chin up. Don't let what you can't control hold you down."  
  
"...Thanks, Cayde." Pidge moved her glasses to wipe her tears.  
  
He patted her on the back. "No problem. Hey, what ice cream flavor do you like? My treat."  
  
Pidge smiled. "Mint chip. Coffee is good, too."  
  
"Alright. There's a good ice cream parlor down in the City. You feel like walkin' a bit?"  
  
"Yea. I do." Pidge stood up with Cayde.  
  
It struck her that she's never actually left the Tower before. She usually stayed inside, working on files and other things. The only times she left it were the missions that can only be done on other worlds in her Lion. So, more exactly, she's never entered the Last City.  
  
It had its own, unique charm to it. It wasn't advanced like most alien cities she's seen before. Instead, it seemed to be more alike to those old pictures of the Cocoon she's seem once or twice with Spider. The Cocoon during the Otherworlder War. Both it and the Last City had their rural, rundown traits.  
  
The streets seemed to bustle with life, however. The Last City, also like the Cocoon, has become a hotspot for otherworlders. Not just humans, Awoken, and Exos walked the streets, but Reploids and the various creatures of Lore travelled along the sidewalk.  
  
"Very colorful for a city down on its luck," Pidge commented.  
  
Cayde laughed. "You kiddin'? This is the best state I've seen it in. Come on. Just around the corner."  
  
The ice cream parlor was hardly that. The word 'parlor' would make you think of a high-end restaurant. It was more of a shack nestled in between two much larger buildings jammed so tightly together.  
  
Despite that, it was obviously popular. Numerous people hung out in the front, eating ice cream and chatting with their friends. Cayde managed to claim a small part of a windowsill to sit at comfortably.  
  
Pidge smiled at her cone. "You didn't have to get both flavors," she commented, staring at the two scoops, coffee on top and mint chip on the bottom.  
  
"Hey, I made a girl cry!" Cayde replied, waving his own cone around while careful to not let the strawberry and cherryscoops fall out. "I better go all out to put the band-aid on right, you know?"  
  
She looked over at him, smiling. "Getting past the pigeon jokes, you're alright, Cayde."  
  
"Okay. Whew. You wouldn't have been the first person to not like me, but still. Glad we cleared that up."  
  
"Oh shut up and enjoy it before it melts," Pidge teased, digging in herself once she stopped talking.  
  
From there, their friendship went off without a hitch. Cayde spoke of his achievements, bragging about his past time as Hunter Vanguard and such. Pidge in turn revealed past stories about her time as a Paladin of Voltron, detailing adventures taken over the course of those few years that eventually saved the universe.  
  
As the sun began to set, dipping the Last City into a red glaze, the crowded streets began to fill out. Either people went back into their homes or left by ship or technological gate to do so. Before long, both of them were shooed away from the closing parlor.  
  
Pidge stretched as they began to walk back to the Tower. "Well, it's about 6 or so. I think Hunk has dinner ready for the guys."  
  
"Yea, I heard he and Eva Levante were workin' together to practically start runnin' a cafeteria in the Tower. Though that'll probably interfere with the whole Voltron thing, you gotta give him credit for doing somethin' so big with so little people on hand."  
  
"Hey, you should have seen the time he spruced up a space mall's restaurant. It was crazy! People were lining up at the door!"  
  
Inside the Tower, a normal restaurant would be run by about 30 or 40 employees. However, only two worked behind a small counter that attracted all the different members of the Alliance.  
  
Eva Levante smiled at the much younger Hunk besides her. "It seems your cooking has attracted quite the hungry people."  
  
"Well, it was probably your appetizers," Hunk admitted. "It's not 100% me here, remember?"  
  
Takumi leaned on the counter, noticeably fried and even sizzling a bit. "Hey, Hunk. You got some grilled chicken? Three servings."  
  
"What happened to you?" Eva asked, concerned.  
  
"Deimos's Ghost Pulled Pork wandered off alone. We went through a whole Hive-infested area, dragging along his Guardian's body when he died two thirds of the way, then found him back in the ship we took there. If I look bad, you should see Keith. So, how about that chicken?"  
  
Hunk turned to the grill, fishing out a huge slab of chicken. "Coming up. Want me to throw in some vegetables?"  
  
"I dunno about Deimos, but I guess two of them should have some asparagus on the side. Grilled is fine."  
  
Eva smiled. "Grilled asparagus? You're one healthy boy."  
  
"I'm twenty-four, Eva, and my birthday's coming up soon," Takumi replied in a joking tone. "Not a boy."  
  
Hunk noticed Lance and Allura sitting down. "Oh, hey, you guys! Want something to eat?"  
  
"Just some calamari for me," Lance said. "Thanks, Hunk."  
  
Allura smiled. "Can I have a Caesar salad? With a separate dish of steak?"  
  
Lance raised an eyebrow. "You've never been one for steak before."  
  
"Oh, it isn't for me. It's for Mithrax! He was interested in the various foods of the cultures here, so I was going to start him off with something plain and simple!"  
  
At that, Lance frowned. "You've been getting along really well with Mithrax."  
  
"He's a gentleman once you get to know him. He's very kind, and curious about a lot of things, too!"  
  
"Yea. Right."  
  
"Hey, Hunk!" Pidge waved as she and Cayde waltzed up.  
  
Hunk waved back. "Hey, you guys! How was your day out?"  
  
"It was fine. Can you hit me up with me with a cheeseburger, with just lettuce?"  
  
Hunk grinned. "One cheeseburger with lettuce, coming up! You want anything, Cayde?"  
  
The Exo gave finger guns at Eva. "She knows."  
  
The woman rolled her eyes. "One serving of spicy ramen to go with it. Cayde loves the stuff."  
  
Hunk raised an eyebrow at that. "Out of all the food he chooses, he chooses ramen?"  
  
"Please do not disgrace ramen," Cayde softly chided. "I just want food, my friend. Is that wrong?"  
  
Takumi smiled at that. "Well, ramen is quite good, if you put the correct seasoning and amount of water in it. Too much can wash away the flavor, and too little can leave it dry."  
  
Cayde stretched a hand out to pat Takumi on the shoulder. "See? This guy knows what's up!" He looked at him. "You eat it often?"  
  
"I had it occasionally when we didn't have the budget for real food. Managing money is harder when you have to try and balance the jobs you take."  
  
As Takumi spoke, Shiro walked up. Placing his levitating arm on the table, he lowered a data pad he had been holding up to his face to study.  
  
"Hey, Hunk. Can I just get some fried rice to go? Preferably chicken."  
  
"Got it, though you have to wait a bit. I got about twenty other dishes on the grill!"  
  
Shiro made a motion of checking his wrist as if a watch was there. "Hm...Yes, I think I have enough time." He looked back up, smiling. "I'm good."  
  
Cayde's face lit up. "Hey, Shiro! How's everythin' goin' between you and your boyfriend?"  
  
Pidge was alerted to the fellow shipper as Shiro had an amused expression. "I thought Commander told you to stop referring to me and him as a couple."  
  
"Have I ever listened to Zavala?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you think I ever will?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Okay, what we learn?"  
  
Shiro sighed. "Hunk, you still have your communicator, right?"  
  
"Uh, yea." The man looked over his shoulder, in the midst of grilling a steak. "Why?"  
  
"Notify me when my food is ready. I have business elsewhere." Shiro began to hurry off.  
  
Cayde refused to give up so easily, attracting the others there as he shouted, "Come on! You and Zavala look good together! And don't tell me you don't know the way he looks at your-"  
  
Thankfully, Artix had enough sense to intervene as he placed a single finger on Cayde's faceplates. "Shhh...We get it. The whole Tower gets it."  
  
"Thank you," Lance dryly murmured to the paladin as Allura happily munched on her salad, eager to finish so she could deliver Mithrax his present.  
  
As Artix removed his hand, Pidge broke the silence he had brought. "You too?"  
  
Andal almost choked on his drink, and glanced over at the two with wide eyes. "Oh, no," he murmured into his glass.  
  
"Wait, you want them together, too?" Cayde looked down at the smaller one.  
  
"Well, duh! I may not have known Zavala from before-"  
  
Her thought was finished by him. "-but he's certainly been smilin' a lot more with Shiro around! I know, I've seen him, too!" Cayde gave a dramatic sigh. "Oh, if only Zavala wasn't so stubborn to confess his feelings in a beautiful and heartwarmin' moment!"  
  
Pidge smirked at that. "Do you think we might have to do a little manipulation on our side?"  
  
"...I'll get the party poppers," Cayde replied in an equally devious tone.  
  
As both of them ran off, laughing and obviously plotting, Carla stared in a worried manner at her food. "...I feel that a chaotic and mischievous force has awoken."  
  
Andal stared at the table awkwardly. "You aren't alone."


	10. The Fallen Monstrosities, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Carla  
> -The Scorned Barons  
> -Allura  
> -Rowan  
> -Uldren Sov  
> -Pulled Pork  
> -Zavala  
> -Shiro  
> -Cayde-6  
> -Lance  
> -Andal Brask  
> -Cedar  
> -Warlic  
> -Robina the Hood  
> -Cysero  
> -Artix von Krieger  
> -Daimyo  
> -Jadir  
> -Theodore  
> -Eagle-12  
> -Axl/Gefangene  
> -Katie Holt/Pidge
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Carla gets in a heap of trouble, and the Alliance enacts a scavenger hunt of sorts.

Rowan refused to eat food, and cried when he could smell something good. That was quickly explained by X to Carla that his sense of taste was removed by Fox, and there never was a time to reinstall it. 

Rowan would do absolutely stupid things and act like they're okay. It was almost like he was trying to kill himself. He would stand in place for a few moments in the middle of a training run, whipblade shaking slightly in hand, before he continued. 

He trailed off in the middle of sentences, mind wandering elsewhere when he saw that nobody was listening. He was agitated easily, which was easily one of the most annoying things about him, hands down. He either slept too much or not at all, though that was the least of Carla's worries, seeing that he could recharge.

Carla had never known what Rowan was like beforehand. She had no idea whether this was just his personality or not. Regardless, like glue, he stuck to her, and now she had the choice whether to peel him off of her or let him stick.

She was one of the only people that listened to him. He never went out of his way to make friends, and just talked when they started the conversation, or to ones he already knew, like Takumi and X. He made no efforts on conversations with people he didn't recognize, so it was no wonder not many people knew of his apparent destiny as Light Incarnate.

Speaking of, his training in light magic wasn't going along well. Gabriel was even more air headed than he was, and constantly lost focus of what he was trying to do. Rowan has barely even learned how to bring out his Luxonia wings, and all he could do was make quick little flashes of light in his hands, like little light bulbs popping.

Carla just didn't know what to do with him. His obvious trauma has put up an entire wall between him and everyone in the world. Even when they were called boyfriend and girlfriend, they didn't act like those romantic couples you'll see on the street. That especially made Carla wonder if they were even compatible.

Rowan needed help. Help that Carla didn't know how to give.

"Carla? Carla, are you still there?"

It seems she herself was prone to losing herself in her thoughts. Carla snapped back to attention. She stood alone in the vastness of the Reef's Tangled Shore. Allura's voice tickled her ear through a communicator.

"Yea. Yea, I am." Carla looked around, as if confirming her surroundings. "Sorry. You were saying?"

"I was saying that you're close to the time break we detected. Though I do have to warn you to be careful. It seems to be getting bigger by the minute."

"Which means I have to hurry. Got it. Thank you, Allura. I'll be heading off now."

Carla waited until the com clicked, a sign she had hung up. She took a few steps before beginning her climb over the rocks of the strung-together Tangled Shore.

Every once in a while, she stopped and looked up. In the sky hung a large clutter of metallic rings. Inside, laid what was definitely the entrance to their home, the Dreaming City. Even though she had no desire of entering it now, it certainly was on her bucket list to experience the beauty of it, if only for a few minutes.

A faint boom not only startled her out of her daydreaming, but shook her to the core. No normal time break has ever done that before. Then again, the only time breaks she's interacted with has been in this short frame of time of the Alliance being birthed. Either time breakers normally make noises like that, or there were outside forces nearby.

She knew it was outside forces as soon as there was a cackling laughter. Immediately, she pressed her entire body against one of the numerous rocky outcroppings. Slowly, she peeked over to see what was happening.

There was the time break, certainly, revealing its inner mechanisms to her. Seven figures stood by it, and an eighth was pulling themselves out as well. She could recognize them as Fallen, but there was something odd about them that she couldn't really put her finger on.

The one that had laughed had their body practically littered with bombs as they crowed, "Tangled Shore! Which means people! People to play with!" They tilted their head back and gave their shrieking laughter again.

"Now, now, Kaniks," a female-sounding one with what looked like a giant backpack on her back said. "We should not run off immediately to have fun and plunder."

"Elykris is right." Judging by the way all the other seven turned to the one with an antler-like helmet, he had to be the leader. "That portal we had just passed through seemed to be no normal portal. Not only was Father lost in it, but we wandered for a long time until we came across this opening. Things may have changed, and there may now be a new Hunter Vanguard."

Carla frowned. "They must be the Scorned Barons..." She muttered.

The Barons were certainly a hot topic with her and Andal. He recited stories about them, but has commonly and regretfully stated that he was not around when Cayde finally put them behind bars in the Prison of Elders. They were Fallen mutated into a new species entirely. They liked to call themselves Scorn. And the Barons being here only meant trouble.

Carla aligned her arm with the time break. She could close it, then run to warn the Alliance of the newcomers into the timeline. She doubted any could catch her in the air, once her wings were added into the equation.

One snap was enough. Startling the Barons, the time break behind them sealed up like was stitched up. Only a thin line of blue hovered in the air before that disappeared, too.

"Where did it go?!" One exclaimed, shocked by the sudden vanishment.

The leader, who Carla has identified as Fikrul now, was angry at this. "Now Father has no chance of finding us!"

The chrono angel got up, moving quickly but silently as to not alert the seven down there. The Alliance had to know of the new residents.

Wait. Weren't there eight Barons?

At once, a hand closed around her throat, which could easily be crushed at any moment now. Gasping and choking for air, Carla could feel herself lifted up, struggling in the grasp of the one that had snuck up on her.

"Hey, Fikrul!" Her captor called. "Look what rat I found spying on us!"

The Barons scrambled up to get a better view of her. Carla could feel that she was absolutely minuscule in comparison to the Scorn, thought she couldn't see due to her vision beginning to blacken.

Once she was released, she dropped to the ground with a soft thud. Carla took deep gulps of her newfound air, barely attempting to support herself.

"Hiraks says he can sense a power similar to the portal's stemming from her," one of the Barons translated. "She must have been the source of the closing."

"Human." Fikrul investigated her more closely. "Did you close it?"

The close proximity was all she needed. Her subconscious reached out, and formed her lance into her hand. The blade glowing with its Chronite craft, Carla stabbed it forward, determined to land a blow right into the helmet, cracking it and destroying the ugly mug underneath.

It never landed. Instead, Carla could feel a fist grab her bob cut and use it to slam her into the ground. Her weapon dropped right out of her hand, a nasty ringing beginning in her ears.

She couldn't hear what they said next, only faint murmurs slipping in and out. However, she pieced enough together to know that she was not being killed. Honestly, that would be much more preferable.

Her worst theories were confirmed when the hand grabbed her hair again, scraping at her scalp. "Good news, human. You get to live."

"Something tells me...that isn't good per say."

Carla was out cold the moment her head was slammed into the ground. With only a ringing in her ears that faded by the second, she blacked out, becoming unaware of the world.

Just about millions of miles away, back on the planet Earth, her reason for worry was currently passed out. The young Rowan was strewn across boxes, snoring as he took a power nap. His whipblade leaned against a box, barely brushing his hand, but besides that, he was unarmed.

A blue light peeked around the corner, staring at him. It was only there for a moment before stealing back to hide and mutter, "He was not there before! I swear!"

Uldren clothed in only black casual attire peeked out, Pulled Pork by his head. "Why does he have to sleep right where my Blade armor is?" He growled. "I really need the mask before anyone sees me."

"Hey, I thought the coast was clear, too!" Pulled Pork retorted. "I didn't know anyone except us came to this part of the Tower!"

Rowan raised an arm to signal them. "That's actually why I came here to nap, you know. Nobody comes here."

Uldren immediately hid behind the corner as Rowan lifted his head to stare. "You were awake?" He managed to keep a cool voice, though it wavered a bit.

"I have light sleep cycles. Who are you and what do you need?"

"Well...I placed a really important set of armor here, and...I want you to look away while doing it."

Rowan scowled. "What, you're naked?"

Uldren turned purple, a classic Awoken blush. "What? No!"

"Then there's no problem." Rowan grinned. "You can't be that ugly. I won't shoot you mistaking you as one of those ugly aliens I see on patrol."

At that, Uldren retorted, "One of those 'ugly aliens' lives in the Tower, you know."

"Allura knows very well none of us trust him and regularly insult him." When the voice didn't respond, Rowan kicked away his whipblade, making sure it made a loud enough sound as it clattered on the ground. "Okay. I'm unarmed. I won't bite."

"...You promise that you are unarmed?"

"I swear on it. You can come out."

Uldren stole a quick glance at his Ghost, who imitated a nod. The ex-prince stole a deep breath, then exhaled. With no other option before him, he turned and slowly walked into view, revealing his face to the other.

Rowan grinned, finding nothing wrong. "See? I'm not that apprehensive."

At that, Uldren merely blinked. "You...don't want to kill me?"

"What? No. Why would I? Am I missing something here?"

Uldren fell silent, glancing away. Rowan's grin evaporated, knowing very well the look of almost guilt and nervousness. He decided to say nothing more on that subject.

Pulled Pork decided to drop in for Uldren. "This is...Uldren Sov," he declared quietly.

For a moment, Rowan's mind drew a blank. It began firing in the dark before it hit a mark, and it all clicked at once.

"Oooooh!" Rowan exclaimed. "Oh! Oh, I get it. I get it now. You're the guy that killed my girlfriend's dad."

"You're dating the chrono angel?" Uldren paused, then it was his turn to realize something. "Wait, you're Rowan?!"

He shrugged. "I don't go by any other name."

"I...expected you to look more..." Uldren made an unsure hand gesture. "Dangerous. Not like a teenager boy."

"And I expected you to be more a muscled, threatening man," Rowan returned. "But here we are, two pretty boys."

Uldren couldn't help but look a bit flustered at that. "Yea. R-Right." He held up a hand, and Pulled Pork nestled into it. "This is my Ghost. Pulled Pork."

Rowan waved, smiling. "Hello, Pulled Pork!"

"Hello, Rowan!" The Ghost happily chirped in return.

Uldren looked at a silver case lying in the midst of the boxes, and gestured to it. "Can you pass me that?" He questioned. "It's my Blade outfit."

Rowan pick it up with little effort and tossed it. "Here you go."

Uldren caught it. "Thanks." He paused, clutching the case. "Now listen, beyond this room, you still know me as the mute Guardian Deimos."

"As long as you promise me this. If in any way your identity is revealed, please don't tell my girlfriend I knew it was you. She would kick my ass."

Uldren chuckled at that. "That can be easily arranged."

"Then we have a deal." Rowan makes a careless, two-finger salute. "Your secret is safe with me!"

"I'm glad we could settle on that." Uldren smiled.

It wasn't long before the casual clothes were discarded and put away neatly. The Blade outfit was slipped on, and Rowan found that a new person took Uldren's place once the mask was out. His voice seemed to give out, and he didn't speak a single word. The more relaxed stance of holding his belt with both hands while slouching to one side was cast aside for a much more rigid movement.

Rowan smiled. "It's like Uldren and Deimos are two different people," he mused.

"That's the whole point!" Pulled Pork chimed.

"I guess it is. Will I see you around?"

"He usually hangs out with Keith and Takumi, so yea! We'll be around if you need us!" Pulled Pork zoomed off, his Guardian tagging behind him.

Rowan didn't stay in the area for much longer. He moved on outside, traversing the Tower in what spare time he had.

He noticed a commotion, and glanced over. Allura was talking to Zavala, both of them looking worried about something. He chalked it up to simple council member issues and moved on.

"Rowan." Rowan looked at Zavala now looking at him. "Come over here. We need to talk to you."

His artifical heart dropped down to his stomach. Gulping, he made his way over. "Am I in trouble?"

"No. Not at all. Have you just seen Carla?" The Awoken asked him. "Allura lost connection with her just a few hours ago, and she presumed she came back home. Has she?"

Rowan shook his head at that. "I know she hasn't, because she always lands on the balcony when coming back. Either me or Andal would have seen her."

"And we asked Andal, too," Allura agreed. "He didn't see her, either. And Carla's never been one to suddenly stop communicating."

"That means that something is really wrong!" Rowan declared. "Where was she last?"

"In the Tangled Shore," Allura answered. "She was closing a time break we detected. She went offline just after it was closed. I just thought she completed her mission, but I got a bit worried after an hour."

Zavala frowned. "I will contact Petra to see if she made any odd observations, or saw Carla at all."

"Does the Tower have any enemies in the Tangled Shore?" Rowan questioned.

"We had one, but they were removed just before the Alliance was formed. They were called Scorn, mutated Fallen that planned to assimilate the rest of their species to them. They were led by the Barons, and the Barons in turn by the criminal Uldren Sov. However, they have all been confirmed to be dead. The Scorn is not a possible enemy."

Rowan didn't even hesitate. "It was a time break, right? The things that appear in different timelines, and out from them leak people and things from other timelines, past, present, or future?"

Both Allura and Zavala paused. They looked at each other silently, then at Rowan. They grasped it only a few moments after he did.

"An alternate version of the Barons..." Allura murmured. "Which means that the Scorn could still be likely culprits!"

"I must talk to Cayde on this matter." Zavala began to leave. "He personally imprisoned the Barons. In this entire Tower, he is the one that knows the most about them."

It didn't take long for an answer to sprout up. Just a few minutes after the conversation, an announcement on the Tower intercom from Zavala declared for everyone present in the Alliance to gather at the Vanguard Hall.

Rowan found himself in the hall, standing directly by a fully-armored Blade. Judging by the closeness to Keith and Pulled Pork directly above his shoulder, it was Uldren. He turned to give a smile to him, but found himself surprised that it was Keith that returned the smile, adding a nod, too. It seems that Uldren informed Keith of somebody else knowing his true identity.

Shiro spoke up, making all side conversations quell. "Everybody, we gathered you here for an important reason. Carla has vanished in the Tangled Shore, and we have reason to believe the Scorned Barons are behind it."

Lucy was aghast. "My muffin is in danger?!"

Cayde cocked his gun, just to be showy. "Don't worry, honey. I've fought the Barons and beat 'em! I don't doubt that together with the power of friendship and love, we can beat 'em all again!"

Shiro chuckled. "Even though it's been so long, your grasp on the Barons was not exactly enough to give us anything beyond a bare skeleton of who they are."

"Well, I'm not in my prime, but don't pin the blame on me!"

Zavala cleared his throat as Allura gave a reassuring pat on the arm to a worried Mithrax. "Eight members make up the Barons. Like before, they will have scattered across the galaxy, hiding in different locations. If it is the Barons, we will have to split up to find them."

He righted up, and displayed a large stack of files. "In these folders, you will find descriptions of each Baron. We dug deep to find their strengths and weaknesses, so I recommend you remember them. They may save your life."

Reksis Vahn, the Hangman. He personally has an unknown hatred for Fallen servitors, and will destroy one on sight. He also is one for sadism towards his victims. Artix decided to take his kinderguardian team out to face him, though Robina calmly and sternly warned him death will be upon him should any kinderguardian not come back alive. He noted it.

Kaniks, the Mad Bomber. Emphasis on 'mad'. He lives for destruction, and is nothing but a crazed, childish lunatic. Dynamo immediately volunteered to fight fire with fire, and Takumi went next in order for him to confirm that the fire will not kill him. This, in turn, tugged Keith and his Guardian companion along for the ride.

Araskes, the Trickster. While not one for combat, she is an expert at rigging and disguising traps in order to trick, distract, and kill. Pidge was determined she could counteract the traps, causing Cayde to tag along with her. Axl and Gefangene volunteered to go along too.

Hiraks, the Mindbender. He can control the darkness, and worships the Hive. Cayde mentioned that he remembered Hiraks did something involving ascending, but it was escaping him at the moment. Allura was determined to take care of him, causing Mithrax to come along as well, X right behind. He only wished that his friend Zero could come too, who was currently stationed at the Iron Temple with Cayde's friend Shiro-4.

Yaviks, the Rider. She leads a large gang of Pike-riding Fallen, like her own motorcycle gang. Warlic became determined to catch her, causing both of his friends Cysero and Robina to join in. Shiro was sure that Yaviks had no chance, having seen Warlic's alchemy and magic in awe.

Pirrha, the Rifleman. Like his title declares, he is the sniper of the Barons. In fact, he was the one that destroyed the ghost of the Prime Cayde, the Cayde of this timeline. A team of snipers was assembled, headed by Cedar and followed up by Andal and Lance. Andal seemed a bit flustered by being with Lance, but everyone ignored it.

Elykris, the Machinist. The Scorn's weapons expert. She even armed herself with a mortar shell on her back. Lumine initially volunteered, but Shiro made him stand down, due to being the king of Valla, and this a risky mission. Lucina volunteered in his place, taking along the Blade Nythera. Zavala showed concern at only two going to fight Elykris, so included recent members Zeta and Lynaria, much to Nythera's disappointment and dismay.

Finally, Fikrul, the Fanatic. The leader of the Scorn. If anyone had Carla, it was him. Due to the lack of people available, Zavala declared that Fikrul would be dealt with last. However, Zavala found that after the meeting, he was one file short, and Rowan was gone.

The hunt for the Scorned Barons began at the Old Desert. The large, cracked canyon has been rumored to have been made by a Titan. The wind howled and kicked up dust, and it was filled with numerous rocks that would make it a sniper's heaven, but was empty otherwise. This is where Fireteam Theta was last heard from, attacked by a lone Scorn sniper.

Lance's foot met with a beacon on the ground, and kicked it forward a few feet. The scraping noise brought his attention to it. Kneeling down, he picked it up and stared at it.

_"This is the commander of Fireteam Theta! Our Ghosts were shot down by an unknown assailant! I repeat, our Ghosts were shot down! We need-"_ A gunshot ended the message.

Andal frowned. "We're too late. Dey're long dead."

"How many Guardians made up that fireteam?" Lance wondered mostly to himself.

"Likely four. We can't let Pirrha kill any more."

Cedar gestured an arm. "Then let's take positions. We'll get the drop on him before he can takes us out, too."

All three snipers scattered, going onto various heights and pointing different directions. Lance's sniper rifle formed from his bayard, and he raised it, staring through the scope and scanning the dusty distance.

"Can't be too hard to find a walking corpse..." Lance murmured to himself as a purple dot was at the back of his head.

A force slammed into his back, and he was sent straight to the ground. He could hear a shot ring out, and looked to see it whizz off into the direction he was staring at. It would have killed him instantly.

Lance looked to see Andal now on top of him, heavily breathing. "You alright?"

"I have a girlfriend," he jested in return. "But thanks."

Andal immediately rolled to get off of Lance. His face was beet red, but the Paladin chalked it up to the friendly flirt.

Cedar cocked his rifle. "We found him," he declared, turning to where the shot came from.

Immediately, more shots rang out. The three scattered, hitting the ground and skidding. Lance's hair blew when a blast of chrono magic blew up the rock Pirrha was ducking behind. He looked over his shoulder to see Andal's arm outstretched, glowing blue from under the clothing on it.

He flexed his hand. "Been a while since I did dat," he noted with amusement.

A cackle drew the attention of all three of them. "Well, well! You have a friend with the same powers as that girl!"

"So the Commander was right," Cedar growled. "Carla disappearing and the Scorned Barons are linked."

"Not like there was much doubt to begin with," Lance retorted.

Andal raised his rifle. "Where is se?!" He demanded.

Pirrha ignored him. "Carla? What a boring name for such an interesting character. What is your name?"

"...Andal."

"What an interesting name for a boring target."

Pirrha fired again, and sent up the earth next to Andal. He managed to pull himself away from the shot, tumbling backwards and nearly losing his footing. Responding, he lobbed another chrono magic sphere.

Cedar snarled when it hit. "Andal! Those blasts are kicking up dust! We won't be able to see Pirrha!"

"Oh. Sorry!" Andal switched to his own rifle, pointing it at the rock remains.

All three stood in silence as the dust settled. Pirrha was nowhere in sight. They glanced warily at each other, as if sharing the same question of where the Scorn went. Did he perish?

Andal's eyes went wide when a shot fired. A split second later, his shoulder blew up in an absolute hellfire. Screaming, he fell to the ground, dropping his rifle and clutching the hole in his flesh.

"Andal!" Lance spun on his heel, bayard turning into his broadsword.

Cedar ran to his comrade's side. "Andal!" He knelt down as the older sniper groaned and hissed in pain. "It doesn't look too bad."

"No, but it really jhurts, ant it's messy!" Andal gestured to the blood welling out.

Lance knelt by him. "I'll keep an eye out for him. You get Pirrha!"

Cedar nodded once. His rifle was back in his hands, and in no time at all, he's rolled back into cover.

The air was thick with tension. At this point, it was a fair one-on-one sniper roulette. Both have never truly abided by the law, making up their own rules. They were on even ground.

After a few minutes, Cedar became victorious by one key element. Pirrha's crossbow could only be fired accurately if the Scorn poked his head out of hiding. Once he saw the flash of red, his rifle muzzle smoked from the shot taken. He could see the blood fly, and heard the thud of a body falling. Pirrha, the Rifleman was dead.

"I got him." The mercenary lowered the rifle. "Now, let's get out of here."

Lance helped up Andal, who was already woozy from blood loss. "Hey, hey, stay with us. My Lion isn't far. Just focus on keeping your eyes open." The Paladin slung the uninjured arm over his shoulders, and placed a hand on Andal's waist. "I got you. So you gotta stay with me, okay?"

The second part of the hunt was taking place on the outskirts of the European Dead Zone. The trio of Loreians were walking in a triangular position, Warlic leading and Robina and Cysero behind him on each side. All around them, smoke billowed from destroyed Fallen pikes, looted corpses littered the overgrown streets, and electric treads sparked on the ground.

"They've been growing more plentiful," Robina commented. "We must be getting closer to Yaviks."

"One can also tell by the motorcycle sounds!" Cysero cheerfully commented.

Immediately, Warlic stuck out a hand to stop the other two. "Cysero's right. You can hear numerous sources of the sounds of a vehicle."

The archer behind him was already loading an arrow. "And they're coming from all around us."

"Yaviks was boxing us in," the mage growled, planting his staff firmly before him. "Get ready for a fight!"

There was a chuckle, and they turned to look behind them. A whole fleet of pikes covered the path they had just taken into this part of the dead zone. One lead in front, and judging by how different she looked, she must had been Yaviks.

"Well, well, well. It looks like children were running around without their parents in the street. Don't you know you would get run over?"

Warlic remained calm. "Are you Yaviks, the Rider? We were sent from the Alliance based in the Last City. Commander Zavala has commanded us to kill you and your posse."

"Straight to the point," Robina murmured.

"Orders don't change anything! In the end, all you are is roadkill!"

Immediately, every single pike opened fire on the three. A rune immediately glowed white under their feet, and from it formed a clear, blue dome. The shots ricocheted harmlessly. Warlic's arms were spread out as his hands glowed and his staff levitated before him.

Cysero was no help. "Warlic, if we die here, I want you to know that I love you!"

"Yes, yes, I love you too. Robina!"

The arrow she had loaded was raised, a leg pressed forward to secure a better footing. The arrowhead crackled with mana energy as her fingers released the bowstring, and soared right through the shield without damaging it in the slightest. Whizzing through the air, it found its mark in the enter of the mass of pikes.

Immediately, a blue explosion sent all of the Scorn up in flames. Yaviks was sent flying a few feet from the force, and she turned her pikes around to look. All of her minions were dead, their vehicles left burning on the road.

Growling, she turned back to face the trio. "When I say roadkill, I definitely meant roadkill!" She revved her engine before shooting forward at the shield Warlic held.

Warlic smiled, and grabbed the staff before him. "Right into our own trap."

The shield dissolved like water, dropping away from them. Instead, it reformed into a steep ramp in front of the three, wide enough to encompass the entire street. Yaviks was unfortunate enough to not be able to brake in time and prevent herself from going right up it. Now flipping in the air, she screamed, flying over the trio not so gracefully.

The Scorn herself landed on the ground. Her pike landed a few feet away. And by land, I meant burst into flames upon impact and basically deteriorate in a matter of seconds. Yaviks, the Rider could not be called a rider anymore.

Cysero walked up to her, hitting his palm against his blacksmith's hammer. "Is this the part where I ask for your last words?"

Yaviks looked up at him. "What?!"

"Guess not." He raised the hammer and swung it right down onto her skull.

The third part of the hunt took place underground. A vast and twisting cluster of caverns laid before the group of four lingering in it. As usual, the paladin Artix von Krieger took the lead, Daimyo at his heels and battleaxe clenched in his hand. His trio of kinderguardians tagged behind, each holding their individual primary weapon.

 

"Be careful," Artix warned. "The Hangman has to be in here, judging by the wreckage outside."

Theodore raised his machine gun, sword ready on back. "Are you sure that Reksis Vahn is in here?"

Jadir checked behind them, combat bow ready to fire. "He hasn't snuck up behind us."

Eagle-12 rolled her eyes, gripping her sniper rifle. "Don't be jumpy. He isn't a sneaky type."

Speak, and what words have been uttered will be jinxed. With a loud boom, the rocky wall by them went crumbling to pieces. In the remains laid a cauldron in golden flames. Behind that, a Scorn held the chains to the cauldron.

"...Hello," Artix chirped in a higher voice than usual.

"Hello," Reksis Vahn returned with little hesitation.

Immediately, the kinderguardians sprang into action. Theodore opened fire with his machine gun, spraying bullets onto the Hangman. He kept back when the cauldron was swung at him, skidding behind rocks to use as a wall between him and the opponent.

"Give me a leverage!" Jadir yelled over his gunfire.

Immediately, Theodore ripped rock from the ground, crackling with his Super. "How's this?" He yelled before he threw it, the power around him forming into an axe of light similar to Artix's.

His teacher noticed as Jadir ran by. "That looks like the Blinding Light of Destiny!"

"I call it the Axe of Sol. Now let's see if the Hangman can play catch!" Theodore lobbed it so it sailed by with precise aim past the rock that Jadir now rode.

The Axe of Sol exploded in a fiery blast once it nailed Reksis Vahn. Screeching, he tumbled back, and Jadir kept from the rock as it hit the Fallen, too. His bow was raised, and his Void Super formed into a trio of lances lined up perfectly, as if arrows. He fired them all at once, and they added to the explosions.

Artix grinned. "Those looked just like my Dragon Soul Spears! But tinier!"

"You think that's cool?" Eagle called, raising her sniper rifle. "His Dragon Soul Arrows got nothing against my Spirit Bullet!"

The Traveler's Arc power built up on the muzzle. With one boom, the formed bullet shot forward, leaving a blue line behind it in the air. It found its mark in the head of Reksis Vahn, who tumbled to the ground.

"You...brats!" The Scorn choked out.

Artix walked up to him, smiling. "It's hard to face Guardians with all of their supers ready." He held out his loyal Pomeranian. "Sick 'em, Daimyo!"

Outside the cave, you would obviously pick up somebody was being brutally murdered, judging by the screams. Anybody wise enough would just ignore it or run far, far away. It was most likely a horrible beast, certainly not a wad of fluff that only weighed about twenty pounds and wore a tiny set of armor to contain their floof.

The fourth Baron was hunted down in the thick vegetation. The Trickster Araskes stuck to the shadows, traps laid expertly and well-spaced for any foolish enough to come down this road. Coded engrams laid ready to be plundered, practically eye candy for any normal Guardian.

The three walking down the road did not have a normal Guardian amongst them. They were merely the previous Hunter Vanguard, the Green Paladin of Voltron, and one of the most famous Maverick Hunters sharing his subconscious with the virus he called his brother.

Cayde was trying to talk to both of them at the same time. "So, you guys have different food tastes?"

Axl's armor turned white, and his voice dropped an octave. "Yes. I prefer more healthier foods, even though they serve no beneficial effects on our Reploid body."

Axl was returned control, and he didn't miss a beat. "And I like junk food, and I get to enjoy all I can eat! It doesn't effect our body in the slightest!"

Gefangene bit back with, "Actually, if we eat too much junk food, the resulting grease and other harmful substances usually clog up our systems. Much like how Rowan shut down when he ate sea salt caramel ice cream."

"I think he only took one bite, began to sob, and then passed out," Cayde returned. "There was nothin' about crashin'."

Axl scowled. "He cried himself to sleep? Over ice cream? Usually ice cream helps with that."

Pidge suddenly stopped in her tracks, and the boys followed suit. Her eyes had already noticed the glowing purple orbs lying in the grassy path ahead. "Are those engrams?"

Cayde crouched down. "Alright, now." His voice has become a whisper. It was like a switch was pulled, and he's gotten serious. "I know what this is. It's a trap by the Baron we're huntin'. The only way to find her is to activate the trap. When we do that, she'll flee, and we'll need to follow her smoke trail to continue on and pin her down."

"Which means we need bait," Pidge concluded. "Someone quick enough to be able to dodge whatever the trap springs."

Gefangene nodded. "We'll do it. We have superb reflexes."

Gefangene stepped out, white armor a direct contrast to the green vegetation around him. He listened to the crunch of leaves under his feet, but leaned deeper into his audio sensors. He stood, seeming to stare at the engrams.

"We don't need these," he decided before raising an arm. "I can hear heavy breathing."

Immediately, Cayde's gun was out, and he's opening fire. Araskes has ran from her hiding spot, now bolting and leaving a smoke trail in her wake.

Pidge coughed, fanning her face. "I can't see anything in this!" She yelled, raising an arm to shield her eyes.

Cayde pointed up. "Geffie! Get in the air and follow Araskes! The smoke trail will lead you right to her!"

"Of course!" Gefangene shot into the air, rocket boots and wings stabilizing him.

 The Reploid hovered in the air, staring down. His eyes took on a poisonous green glow as he switched to infrared vision.

_"The smoke trail goes northeast,"_  Axl pointed out. _"But that seems way too obvious for a trickster."_

_"It's like Spider's illusion tricks,"_  Gefangene replied. _"A fake out. There is no way Araskes would be that foolhardy."_ He frowned. _"Which is why I can see her doubling back, no doubt to attack Katie and Cayde."_

Axl immediately took the rein, and spun as the armor went back to his color scheme. "PIDGE! CAYDE! ON YOUR LEFT!"

A fired saw blade went flying at Pidge. She ducked in time to avoid the hit, and watched it burrow into a tree by her.

"Yea! We found her!" Cayde spun the Ace of Spades.

Axl whipped out his two pistols. One arm turning white, both he and Gefangene fired at the same time into the underbrush in an attempt to hit Araskes. Pidge's bayard went into a katar form, and ducked as Cayde sent his Golden Gun shots right at the area where they presumed Araskes was. The result was a billow of black smoke and flame rising up from the ashes they made.

Pidge raised a hand. "Hey! Stop!" 

Once they did so, they began to allow the smoke to clear. All three of them squinted into the mess they made. Grass and bushes alike were burning and blackened, and small flames licked the bark of trees. But no body was in sight.

Suddenly, Gefangene dropped straight out of the sky, and landed with a crash. His entire body was crackling with electricity. Worst of all, he was unmoving, so any normal being would presume him dead.

Even worse, Cayde gave a scream of pain. Wires were now curled around him and digging into his metal skin. The painful bonds sent him crashing to the ground, struggling and helpless.

Pidge was out of sight, hiding among nature by the time Araskes emerged, giving an insane laugh. "We had no idea you brought friends this time, non-prime Cayde-6."

"So...Ya know about the whole timeline fiasco." Cayde attempted to keep his cool, even with the wires digging into the scars inflicted on him during his time in the Umbra Mondo.

"We came from a different timeline, much like you." Araskes knelt down. "We know that the other us killed the prime Cayde-6. Which means that this us will have to kill you, non-prime Cayde-6."

The first saw blade hit right in Cayde's back. He stifled a scream, pressing his mouth plates together as if he was clenching his teeth. However, the second shot, right in his shoulder, made him scream in pain.

"Where is your Ghost?" Araskes taunted. "We would love to see them."

"D-Don't come out, Sundance!" Cayde yelled. "Whatever you do, don't come out until I tell you to!"

Another saw blade, into his thigh, made him thrash and nearly lose his voice from screaming. "How heroic. Shame that those will be the last words of the non-prime Cayde-6."

The katar hit Araskes straight in the back, right into the spinal cord. A taste of her own medicine was delivered by a high-voltage shock, which made her shriek and drop her gun.

Pidge lunged for it. Rolling, she grabbed it, and landed in a crouching position. The rifle was pointed right at the head, and before the Trickster could do anything, a saw blade was right in her forehead, followed by the rest of the clip in the gun. The force sent Araskes's body to the ground, where it laid.

Pidge tossed the gun away, and turned to Cayde. "Cayde!"

"Yea...Yea, I'll be fine...Sundance, it's okay, now. Pidge got 'er."

Cayde's Ghost formed. "Araskes did a number on you, Cayde. I'll get you healed as soon as I can."

Pidge began to help by carefully picking out the wires. "Sorry. I had to get behind her, and I couldn't risk her focusing on me."

"No. No, it's alright. Just a couple of scrapes-" Cayde yelped when a saw blade was pulled out before steeling himself. "Yea. Couple of scrapes."

Sundance sighed. "Cayde suffers scars from his time in the Umbra Mondo. Irritation results in a lot of pain. He says he's been too busy in repairing them, but I think he's just too lazy."

"Oh, shaddup, Sundance." Cayde lifted his head. "How's Geffie?"

"Out cold. I think Araskes forced him into a hard shutdown." The Paladin groaned. "You may have to carry him back."

"Aw, don't worry." Cayde grunted when Pidge pulled out the other two saw blades still in him. "Reploids aren't that heavy. I can strong arm them, easy. I know firsthand."

"Did you just make a sex joke about your wife?!"

"Ow! Hey, what if I did?! Chill! Chill!"


	11. The Fallen Monstrosities, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -The Scorned Barons  
> -Dynamo  
> -Takumi  
> -Uldren Sov/Deimos  
> -Keith  
> -Lucina  
> -Nythera  
> -Zeta  
> -Lynaria  
> -Allura  
> -Mithrax  
> -Mega Man X  
> -Carla  
> -Rowan  
> -Kamui  
> -Variks
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> The hunt comes to a close.

Four Barons are deceased. Pirrha, the Rifleman. Yaviks, the Rider. Reksis Vahn, the Hangman. And Araskes, the Trickster. The hunt is halfway over.

However, four still remain to be found. Kaniks, the Mad Bomber. Hiraks, the Mindbender. Elykris, the Machinist. And Fikrul, the Fanatic. Once those four have been killed, the hunt is over, and no doubt that Carla will be rescued.

Kaniks was being hunted by Dynamo and his son and his friends. Currently, they walked along the path that ran adjacent to a river that went beyond their line of sight. The night was cool and crisp, and Takumi could feel the beginnings of a breeze on his face.

"Temperature's dropping," he mused. "It's getting late."

Dynamo smiled, holding his sides and slouching to a side. "So, is this how he does it?"

Takumi looked. "Huh?"

"How your friend Deimos stands. Hands on the belt, slouch to one side. Am I doing it right?"

Takumi sighed. His heart has skipped a beat, but it seemed Dynamo meant no harm in the innocent question. "Well, ask his Ghost."

"Well, no. I want him to reply instead of his Ghost, since I know your buddy Uldren can talk. Even when he claims he is mute and his name is Deimos."

His heart skipped a beat and just dropped right into the pits of his stomach.

Deimos looked up from crouching by the river, Keith by him. Keith was obviously paling with shock, and no doubt his partner was doing the same under the mask.

"You...knew?" Takumi questioned, obviously as appalled as the other two were.

"Honestly. You? Keeping secrets from little ol' me?" Dynamo laughed as if it all was a grand joke, and threw an arm on Takumi's shoulders. "Never in your life, hijo."

Before he could do a single thing, Dynamo was already pulling Uldren into a hug. "Hey, don't sweat it, amigo! I've run on the bad side of the law more than once! I understand your pain!"

Uldren deactivated his face, finding that it felt much better to have his face free. "How did you figure out so quickly?"

"Well, it started when Takumi hung out with you more. As a respectable father, I need to make sure the friend checks out. Obviously, no files on Deimos were recorded, so I went for the next best thing." Dynamo gave a wicked grin. "Keith's diary."

"You stole my journal?!" Keith exclaimed, jaw hitting the floor.

"Diary, journal. What's the difference? And I knew that the man being described as a well-muscled man with fancy hair and a nice ass was being called Uldren, not Deimos."

Uldren looked at his hair between two fingers. "It's fancy?" He suddenly became more alert. "Wait, was the second part?"

Dynamo continued. "I read a bit further, and the pieces matched up. A Guardian with an alias to prevent his identity from being known? Also, it wasn't a coincidence that Uldren's Ghost and Deimos's Ghost had the same name."

Takumi growled. "How many people have you told?"

Dynamo made an offended gasp. "Takumi! I hold secrets! I do not spill them so easily! Why would you ever think of me as such a man?"

"Cedar knows?" Takumi simply retorted.

"Cedar knows. Isn't happy."

"Great. Thanks for risking me getting pulled out of the Blade of Marmora."

"Well, he didn't like you joining it in the first place!" Dynamo shrugged. "What could I do? He needs to know what's going on with our kid! Especially if he's hiding the killer of the prime timeline's Cayde-6."

Takumi had no change in expression. "The Eurasia crash."

"Okay, let's shut up, now."

A bright explosion made Uldren's hair fly. He could feel the edges of heat hit his back, and he turned to see the detonation was close. Extremely close. An inch or two closer, and it would have certainly incinerated his back, or killed him at worst.

The cackling laughter confirmed the identity of the attacker. "Play, play, play! Let's play with Sov!"

"That's Kaniks, alright." Takumi's bow was in his hands, the string forming with a gust of wind. "I just wish we found him instead of him finding us."

All four scattered once numerous projectiles were thrown at them. They all exploded in great blasts, threatening to kill any that got too close and kicking up dust and rocks everywhere.

Takumi was now behind a rock. "I need a better view of Kaniks!"

Dynamo knelt down, cupping his hands together. "I got you, kid!"

The younger mercenary ran forward, ponytail whipping in the air. Leaping up, his foot hit the palms of Dynamo's hands. In turn, the older man launched him high into the air, blanketed and becoming harder to see by the darkness. When Takumi formed one of Fujin Yumi's arrow, the glow lit him up like a beacon in the sky. Everybody watched as a streak of green went right at where Kaniks was.

The result was an explosion. All of Kaniks's grenades seemed to detonate, sending rocks and dust right into the air. Takumi vanished right when the geyser smacked into him headlong. When the dust returned to the ground, he was nowhere to be seen.

Dynamo immediately ran to the source of the explosion, followed by Keith and Uldren. "Takumi!"

The younger mercenary was on the ground, having smacked right down from the force. Supporting himself on an elbow, he looked up from the thick branches of the bushes around him. From how thick it was, he could barely see any other movement.

He felt a clawed hand go on his throat, and before he knew it, Kaniks was holding him in the air. "Hello, playmate!" The Scorn threw back his head and laughed.

Takumi struggled for breath while gripping the wrist of the hand that held his throat in a vice grip. Neither his metal or flesh hand could even begin to pry off the hold on him, and black spots were already beginning to appear in his vision.

"Takumi!" He looked over at Keith's voice, and noticed three blurry figures run up.

"You like playmate so much? Playmate tried to make me go boom! I make playmate go boom!" 

Kaniks threw Takumi onto the ground, and his head went up in extreme pain. Gasping, he had no time to gain proper breath before he screamed from a sudden pain in his back, as if a dagger was driven in.

As he twitched on the ground, Kaniks let go of him. "Bomb make playmate go boom, boom, boom! Playmate explode everywhere!"

Uldren gritted his teeth. "Kaniks just dug a bomb right into Takumi's back..."

A purple glow was cast, and he looked to see Dynamo's buugeng unsheathed. Under his helmet, Dynamo had a rare case of livid anger. "It won't explode. Not on my watch. Keith, get my kid away from that lunatic."

Keith nodded. "Alright."

"Uldren, I want you to show no mercy to this bastard."

"Done." Uldren raised his sidearm, which was tailored with the colors and symbol of the Blade of Marmora.

Kaniks gave another laugh, and threw grenades forward. All three scattered, Keith running to the side, and Uldren and Dynamo straight forward. The grenade influx stopped when Dynamo slammed his feet right into Kaniks.

Keith slid on his knees, heading towards Takumi. "Takumi! Are you okay?"

Takumi lifted his head, blood dribbling out of his mouth. "Keith..."

"Don't move. I'm going to try and get the bomb out of your back." Keith looked at it. Prongs were digging right into Takumi's flesh to secure a tight grip. "It might hurt."

"Just get it out before that madman detonates it."

Keith gripped it gently, but firmly. The prongs seemed to inch deeper into Takumi, making him yelp in pain. No doubt this would definitely scar.

"I'm sorry," Keith whispered just before yanking on it as hard as he could.

Skin tore, and Takumi screamed. The bomb came out glistening red, and Keith hurled it as far away as he could. A patch of blood grew fast on Takumi's back, and he passed out right there on the ground. Keith knelt down, swearing audibly at his lack of medical equipment.

Keith attempted to apply pressure with his hands. "Make it fast, you guys!" He yelled. "Takumi's bleeding out!"

Uldren looked. "What?!"

Immediately, the young man was slammed aside by Kaniks. Dynamo managed to avoid it in time, spinning buugeng in an attempt to divert Kaniks's attention. 

Either Kaniks was blind, or too insane to fall for the pretty lights. "No distractions! Only explosions, silver mane!"

Dynamo, in his clear rage, swung blindly. In turn, Kaniks teleported around him randomly, still laughing his head off. Dynamo was getting more frustrated with every missed swing, silver hair whipping around every time he turned his head.

"STOP MOVING AND LET ME KILL-!"

Dynamo paled when he felt something on his back. "Boom!"

Indeed, an explosion went off. Dynamo arched in the air, smoking. With a crack, he hit a tree, which splintered under the force of his body. Falling to the ground, he laid gasping, struggling to even move and buugeng too far from him.

Now standing back up and able to steady himself on his feet, Uldren looked. Keith was busy protecting Takumi, and now had his knife ready, knowing very well there was now nothing between Kaniks and Takumi. Dynamo was barely able to get himself on his elbows, wide open for any attacks.

Kaniks now had all three hands filled with explosive. "Playtime...is over!"

Uldren lunged forward in front of Keith and Takumi as the explosives were thrown. One hand, crackling with blue-themed power, was stretched out. "NO!"

The power expanded into a staff, and fit snug in his hands. Unconsciously, Uldren began to rotate it in his hands, as if he has done this all his life. Blue began to cover his entire vision, and he could feel three different forces collide with the shield he was making, and three different explosions, all in different places.

Uldren paused, as if realizing the circumstances. He had subconsciously called upon the Light of the Traveler to form an Arc Staff in a bid to protect Keith and his friends. Now, everyone was looking at him, surprised as he was.

He managed to collect his thoughts well enough to say with a steady voice, "I will not allow you to harm anybody here any longer, Kaniks!" He pointed the Arc Staff at Kaniks in a challenge.

The Scorn laughed. "Prince wants to play! Make prince explode before making playmates explode!"

Another explosive was thrown, but this time, Uldren was ready. As if it was natural, the staff was switched to his dominant hand, the other right below him. The Blade only hesitated a moment before swinging, and smacking the explosive out of the air and right back to Kaniks, whose mood changed. A scared expression was seen just before the explosive hit his face and detonated.

Kaniks erupted into a fiery blast. The flames consumed him instantly, and incinerated his entire form. As Uldren lowered the staff, he watched the charred body slump to the ground, unmoving.

"Uldren." He turned to see Keith looking up. "You..."

Pulled Pork formed. "You performed your Super!" He cheered. "You've never done that before!"

Keith looked surprised. "He hasn't?"

"Not at all! He's never been able to grasp it!" Pulled Pork seemed to mimic a smile. "I guess he was so determined in protecting you and Takumi, that he called upon it without even knowing it!"

Keith paused before smiling. "Thank you. I think we would have died the moment we ran into Kaniks without you."

Uldren felt himself blush. "I was only doing what a friend would do. But I think we need to hurry and get Dynamo and Takumi back to safety."

"I'll call the Black Lion to us," Keith agreed, standing up. "Stay by Dynamo, and I'll come back to help you with him."

Both Guardian and Ghost went over to the Reploid on the ground. Despite the injuries, it was obvious Dynamo had his thoughts elsewhere. He was still trying vainly to get up, though his body argued with him otherwise.

Uldren knelt down as Dynamo fell again. "Easy. You're not fit to move."

"Takumi. Is Takumi okay? Is he alive?"

"You're thinking about Takumi, even when you're in just as bad as a condition?"

Dynamo gripped Uldren's arm with startling strength. "Listen up, amigo. Takumi is literally one of the best things that ever happened upon the hell that is my life. I would gladly die if it meant Takumi would make it to tomorrow." His voice dropped to a seething whisper. "If Death comes for him, it'll return either empty-handed or with me."

The hunt continued on, now following the trail of Elykris, the Machinist. Lucina, with her trio of Chaos-wielding women, found themselves on Nessus to find the Baron.

Lynaria was looking up and around at the area. "How interesting that a moon would enter a solar system so abruptly."

Zeta tilted her hat and squinted around. "Seems really ramshackle to call it a moon. More like a cluster of asteroids around a half of a moon."

Lucina looked around. "The reports said a large ship was destroying Nessus slowly, but then fled the Solar System during the initial Umbrati attack. It has yet to return, but until then, the ruins of Nessus will remain."

Nythera huffed. "Forget the history lesson. We're looking for the Machinist. Not the ship."

"We don't need to look much longer." Lynaria looked up. "I think she found us."

Lucina opened her mouth to speak, but was tackled by Zeta. In turn, the ground where she just stood erupted, a crater blown in by a missile. Both girls fell to the ground, the others running back to join them.

"Come to have all my salvage, will you?" The four looked to see a hulking Scorn atop a pile of scrap, one of the many piles in the area. "Begone!"

"We don't need garbage." Lucina unsheathed Falchion. "We were sent to retire you!"

Zeta shuffled cards idly. "And by that, we mean kill."

"If you ladies believe I would die so easily, you are sorely mistaken. I have lots of weapons I would be loving to try out on you! Such as my missile pack!"

Nythera huffed. "Your boasts will not save you, filth."

Elykris only responded with a mere, "Die!"

More missiles were shot from the pack on Elykris, and barreled towards the four. They scattered, taking cover wherever they could. In return, blasts of Chaos magic were being delivered by Nythera and Lynaria, explosive cards added to the mix by Zeta. The Scorn scuttled away from view to avoid the attacks.

Elykris seemed to forget about Lucina entirely, who suddenly was behind her with Falchion at the ready. She managed to cut right into Elykris just before she was hit away by an arm, sent flying into a scrap pile.

"You alright, Lucina?" Zeta asked without much concern in her voice.

"...Yes?" Lucina strained, climbing out of the pile and obviously hurt.

"Okay, cool!" Zeta returned to flicking her cards at Elykris.

As the three other ladies struggled with Elykris, Lucina pulled out Falchion from the pile. In the process, she knocked a few things out, which rolled around a few times. Most of them were weapons, a few she even used during her search for her mother in the many worlds known for the past five years.

That was why the grip of the missile launcher she picked up was faintly familiar. The ones she learned to use had a much more basic grip, but she could still tell where each hand went.

"ELYKRIS!" Lucina shouted just before she fired a missile still lodged in the launcher when it was found.

Of course it didn't go off. It was too old, and probably didn't work to begin with. However, the shell slammed right into Elykris's face, and a painful crack could easily be heard. The missile pack fired as Elykris fell onto her back.

Complications would easily rise there. The missile pack was on her back meaning the missiles were either still on her back, or only dug a few feet into the ground below her. However, every missile has been activated, and ready to detonate.

And detonate they did. Like Kaniks, Elykris was consumed in a fiery blast of her own missiles that went off individually and combined into one megaton explosion. The earth went up into the air in a large geyser, and crashed down all around the girls as they braced themselves.

Lucina lowered the missile launcher. "Her own weapons turned against herself..." she breathed.

"Good idea, Lucina!" Zeta called. "Making her blow herself up!"

Lucina definitely didn't plan it, but would gladly accept the credit. "Oh! Thank you, Zeta! Granted, I was planning to use just this, but her explosives worked in our favor, too!"

"That was easy," Lynaria scoffed. "I bet everyone else is having just as an easy time as we just did."

They were not. The seventh part of the hunt was probably one of the most difficult. Hiraks, the Mendbender, was fighting against Allura, Mithrax, and X in the New Pacific Archology on the moon Titan. Hiraks was not dealing massive damage. He was just very, very annoying to corner.

"He used his Hive portal again!" X called, firing his buster. "I can't see him anymore!"

"It seems like staying still isn't an interest of his." Allura raised her bayard in its glaive form.

"His reaction time is slow," X pointed out. "If he's attacked by someone fast enough and close enough, that may be the move we need."

Allura looked behind her. "Mithrax. Do you think you can cover us?"

Mithrax pulled his shock blades out of a Hive thrall that now laid on the ground, dead. "I will protect," he spoke in improved English. "You will attack."

"Thank you." Allura gave a friendly nod in return.

Allura only needed to give a nod to X. Both of them bolted across the ruins of the city, sprinting side by side with weapons ready. Immediately, Hive with guns began to open fire, but both were quick to dodge and get under cover.

"I should thank myself for putting a marker on Hiraks in my vision," X noted. "I can detect he's just around the corner. Do you think he may know we know?"

An Arc bolt landed just near his foot, and Allura stated, "He knows very well."

X leapt first out of hiding, and fired his buster. This was more than enough to rile up Hiraks out of his own hiding place to get a better shot at the Maverick Hunter. Allura took that as her cue to begin running around the side to strike at Hiraks from behind.

Climbing up, she could see the hulking Scorn with his back to her. Slowly, she raised her glaive. When she was sure Hiraks was focused on X and only him, she raced forward, glaive ready to stab right into his back.

Except he wasn't focused on X. Hiraks suddenly stomped the ground, which sent Allura right off her feet and crashing back down the way she came. She hit the ground with an angry smack, jostling her entire body and making pain flare in her leg, which took the blunt force of falling.

Mithrax made due on his words on protecting the two. As Hiraks turned to look at his second attacker, Allura looked up in time to see Mithrax slam his entire body into the much larger foe, taking his legs out from underneath him. Both he and Hiraks went right off the Mindbender's platform, Hiraks acting like a rag doll.

X skidded around to check on Allura, dropping off his rocket boots once he was a few feet away and ran the rest of the distance. "Allura!" He began to help her up. "Are you alright?"

"I may have injured my leg, but I'm fine otherwise."

"That was impressive, the way Mithrax took out Hiraks's legs from under him," X admitted with a hint of actual admiration in his tone. "I might need to learn a few things from your friend."

"Speaking of, we should probably make sure he's finished the job," Allura pointed out.

"I will. If you hurt your leg, you hurt your leg."

The Altean sat down, smiling. "What a gentleman you are."

The Reploid smiled once before breaking into a sprint. He could hear fighting still going on, meaning Mithrax was still alive and putting up a fight. That probably meant that Hiraks was too, however, which worried him.

Turning the corner, he could see that just that was the truth. Hiraks was opening fire on Mithrax, who kept dodging every Arc shot. He seemed to have been hit by one, judging by his limping and an arm holding his side.

Immediately, X ran to stand by his friend. "You alright, Mithrax?"

"X. Hiraks wounded me. I still fight, but not much longer."

"Then go back to Allura. She's just around the corner. I'll finish off Hiraks."

Mithrax seemed very unsure about leaving X to deal with the Scorn alone. However, a quick glare confirmed to him that the Reploid had it all under control. The Fallen finally nodded, and ran back to his friend.

The resulting gunfight was merciless. Neither opponent let up in shooting, whether the ammo be plasma shots or Arc shots. The anger and exhaustion from the past few hours of a goose chase around the sinking city bled into the fight.

X had one big advantage. He was small and fast, comparably so when against the large and slow Hiraks. He also had a quicker recoil and shot, so while the Arc shots came one at a time, it was an endless slew of buster shots from him.

Finally, the Arc shots stopped, and X peeked. Hiraks was on the ground, blackened by the numerous hits on his body. He slowly walked forward, and nudged the body with a foot. No movement. He scanned him with his retinas. No sign of life.

X sighed as Mithrax and Allura walked up, supporting each other. "Hiraks is dead," he announced to nobody in particular. "And no doubt everybody else has finished their hunt. Which means only Fikrul remains."

"We will have to sit out of that hunt," Allura admitted. "We are too injured to proses forward."

X nodded. "I understand completely. I have firm belief that Commander Zavala is planning to send capable people to kill the Fanatic and rescue Carla."

Commander Zavala had no control over the two people running around the Tangled Shore, one looking for his girlfriend, the other one just there because he wants to be.

Kamui tromped after Rowan, walking along in the shore. "Why isn't your Gabriel friend here?"

"Artist. Not a fighter." Rowan kept his gaze away from the clone.

"Why isn't he a fighter?"

"Because he doesn't want to."

"So you don't know light magic?"

"No."

"Can't you teach yourself?"

Rowan turned around to face Kamui. "Could you shut up, please?!"

"Sorry, sorry. But, uh...What are we doing here?"

The older one growled. "Every soul has light in it, correct?"

"Correct."

"So, I'm trying to find Carla from the light in her soul. Since I spend so much time with her, you would think it would be easy. But not only do I have NO idea how to track light, I CAN'T DO IT WITH YOU BLABBERING YOUR MOUTH OFF IN MY EAR!"

Kamui only smiled. "No need to be a grumpy pants. Just concentrate deeply, and grasp at what you feel!"

Rowan stayed silent. Righting up, he closed his eyes. Placing a hand over his chest, he exhales and relaxes slowly. His head slightly tilted up before he stilled completely.

"...Are you relaxed yet?"

"Okay, that's it. Get over here. I'm killing you."

"Wait, what?! No! Don't kill me!" Kamui began running along. "Why are you going to kill me?!"

It would truly be a strange sight to any passerby. A boy with Umbrati armor was running while screaming, while another that looked to be his age had out a technological sword while screaming at the other in absolute bloody rage. In one of the most dangerous places in the entire Solar System.

After about fifteen minutes, Rowan froze abruptly. His eyes widened, and he looked behind him, as if he had just felt somebody brush by his shoulder. In reality, he had just felt a sudden, cozy warmth, and only felt it when he looked in a certain direction.

Kamui slowed down, and stopped screaming. "Uh, you alright?"

"I found her." Rowan took off in the direction, running actually faster than what he just was.

"What?! What do you mean you found her?!" Kamui sprinted after him. "Wait up, man!"

With the other trailing behind, Rowan climbed up a group of rocks as fast as he could. He mentally cursed himself for not wearing the proper armor and instead forced himself to climb in mere tennis shoes. However, he managed to do the job, but showed aggravation when Kamui scaled it easily.

"No need to be a show-off," Rowan muttered bitterly under his breath.

"Are you okay? You've been in a sour mood all day." Kamui looked back down at his place a few feet above him.

"Yea, yea. None of your business."

Both looked up at a rumble. They promptly paled when they realized either their disturbance or some other force has caused a lot of rocks to begin falling down at them, and were barreling in fast. Too high up to climb down in time, they were practically sitting ducks.

Kamui gave a fanged grin. "I got it," he growled before drawing his black blade from its violet scabbard on his side. Before Rowan knew it, the Vallian was sprinting right up the side of the rocky wall as if he was trained in this his entire life.

The Reploid watched as the blade sliced rocks apart with clean strokes. The seed of jealousy rooted deep in his stomach. His whipblade couldn't do that, and he barely had the training to run up walls. Kamui seemed to fit the mold of one that can do anything, but didn't speak of or brag about it.

Kamui was out of sight, now at the top of the ledge, and the rocks have stopped. Grunting, Rowan continued to pull himself up, finding himself hating steep cliff sides. Add that to the list of things he hated, right behind collars and electric shocks.

There was a smack, and Rowan looked up in time to see a purple figure get hit off the ledge and onto the ground. He looked down to see Kamui laying there, obviously stunned and not knowing what to do.

As the boy got up, Rowan could feel a hand grab his jacket hood. He was plucked off the wall as if he was nothing but paper, and his legs kicked and flailed as he was pulled up to stare Fikrul, the Fanatic in the eye.

"Gold hair and facial markings." Fikrul tossed Rowan onto the ground. Both of them stood at the edge of the cliff, the beginnings of a cavern a few feet away. "The one in the picture."

Rowan lifted his head. "What picture?"

The Scorn knelt down and displayed something in hand. A picture of Rowan giving a forced, uneasy smile to the camera, pulling the jacket hood up to hide his wild hair. He looked almost afraid to even be taking a photo.

Only one person kept photos of their loved ones on them at all times, and Rowan only had one loved one. "That's Carla's, isn't it?! You bastard!"

"You came to rescue her, didn't you?"

"And kill you!"

Once more, Rowan's hood was grabbed. "Well then, go rescue her." Fikrul threw Rowan through the air and crashing into the cavern by them without another word.

As Kamui vaulted right back up the wall, ready to duel Fikrul, Rowan was sent careening into the cavern. It was a sudden, steep drop that sent him rolling along and screaming.

He felt like he fell for ages, and was only jolted out of it by a sudden wet feeling. He opened his eyes to find himself underwater, and only saw the bottom about fifteen feet below him. Quickly, he pathetically clambered up to the surface, and once his head broke free, he turned to look around.

The cavern was large and vast, water flowing in by a steady stream from a hole in the ceiling. Besides the light coming in from the hole, the other other light was from the blue shots from Timeweaver and Carla's lance's Chronite head dashing through waves and waves of Scorn.

Carla was in the worst condition Rowan has ever seen her in. Her hair was frazzled and matted, and her clothes were torn in various spots, revealing blood caked skin. Breaths came out rarely, and she had to keep spinning to avoid being hit from behind. She's obviously been fighting for hours nonstop to protect herself. If it wasn't for the situation, Rowan would be faintly thinking that such a feat would be very impressive.

 

Rowan couldn't help it. Once he saw her standing on the only strip of land in the cavern, he yelled, "CARLA!"

 

The chrono angel turned to see him in the water. "Rowan...?"

 

Before he could begin to swim over to her, a sudden weight on his back submerged him entirely back into water. He began to struggle with the unseen force, and twisted his body to see a Scorn screeb clutching at his body, screaming underwater at him.

 

It was then that Rowan realized that he had no idea on how to swim.

 

His body smacked against the cavern floor, and he realized what the screeb was doing. It was attempting to drown him, and didn't care if it died in the process. Immediately, he began to kick and thrash, but the creature held his arms tight, and his legs couldn't do anything against it. His whipblade hung uselessly at his hip, and he had no way of grabbing it. It almost taunted him, the fact that it was still there.

A blistering rage from frustration and worry overtook him. The first person that cared for him in so long is dying fifteen feet above him, and he will be damned if one screeb and a lack of swimming lessons will keep him from saving her.

Instead of a cozy warmth this time, it was a burning fire. Rowan slammed his open palm against the screeb in an attempt to force it off. Instead, a bright beam of light itself shot right into the screeb's skull, killing it instantly. Immediately, the grip on his arms loosened, and he was allowed to sit up.

He pressed a foot down on the sandy floor, deciding not to question the light now boiling in his veins. He was sick of the water around him, and wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk that was probably on Fikrul's face.

Instead of swimming to the top, he was sent flying right out of the water by an explosion of his own kind. Carla saw a burst of light just before Rowan shot out of the water, his teeth gritted in pure anger and one leg stuck out, which slammed a Scorn head into the ground and crushed it when he landed.

Without missing a beat, Rowan drew his whipblade, and held it. "Miss me?"

"I have never been happier to see you," Carla admitted. "I've been at this for hours, and they will not end!"

Rowan felt the same warm pulse, and clenched his fist. "Then I'll make them."

He raised his left foot, and stomped it into the ground. Out of the water and the ground, spikes of light raised, penetrating every Scorn in the cavern. A circle of them were formed around Rowan and Carla, avoiding them entirely. Slowly, they retracted, and it became deathly silent, save for Carla's heavy breathing.

"You can...control your powers of the Lux Mondo..." Carla stared. "You know light magic."

"And it's all because of you." Rowan smiled. "All I thought about was protecting you, and...It all flowed into me." He laughed. "Like magic!" He looked when Carla winced. "How badly hurt are you?"

"I'm probably in the worst state I've ever been," Carla admitted.

Rowan didn't need any other words. Cupping Carla's cheek, he kissed her gently, and both of them glowed a faint golden. While the blood remained, Carla's body felt warm, and when it was gone, so was the pain.

She looked to see every wound gone, and her energy back. "Are you sure this is your first time doing this light stuff?"

"I'm Light Incarnate," Rowan bragged. "It comes naturally!"

"HEADS UP!"

 

Both looked up to see Kamui skid into the cavern, screaming. His yells were cut off by him splashing into the water, in the exact spot where Rowan had landed.

 

Not like Rowan, Kamui rose immediately, showing an actual grasp of swimming, and flashed a grin. "Hello, Carla!"

 

Carla scowled. "You're the defected Umbra Mondo soldier."

 

"Did I have a choice in being...employed? No. But the Shadow Queen was very nice. She's like the next door emo neighbor who actually is the best at throwing parties, making friends, and baking cookies."

 

Rowan shook his head. "Forget that. Where's Fikrul?"

 

Kamui looked. "Wait. I threw him down here, then followed to finish the job!"

 

"He didn't arrive," Carla pointed out.

 

Rowan growled. "So he escaped. Great."

 

Kamui swam over. "Well, we got Carla back! That's a win!"

 

The chrono angel scowled. "However, he took my photo of you."

 

"Honestly, by now, I could have a better picture," Rowan admitted. "I wasn't in my best days when you took that photo."

 

"Which means that if you do want to take that photo, I recommend we leave." Carla pointed up at the hole in the ceiling. "Think we could get out from there?"

 

The Luxonia wings reappeared on Rowan's back. "Can I try this?" He asked, grinning at his girlfriend.

 

Kamui had to hitch a ride on Rowan, but all three flew out to freedom. Rowan was in last, trying to get used to his own wings, but Carla held his hands, ready to catch him if he faltered. He managed to do it on his own, but thanked her for the support.

By the time all three landed outside, all were in different stages of exhaustion. Right now, a warm bed sounded like heaven to them all.

"Fikrul escaped, yes?" A guttural voice questioned once they hit the ground.

Rowan turned, not even reacting. "Not today, sorry, I'm too tired!"

By them, just a small distance away, was a Fallen that clutched a staff. His upper arms were purely mechanical, and he wore the green colors of a lost Fallen House. He stared at the three of them, expecting them to answer.

Carla scowled. "The colors you wear are of House Judgement, which currently has only one remaining survivor. You must be Variks, the Loyal." She sighed. "Yes. We did not mean to, but Fikrul fled."

"Does not matter, whether he fled or died." Variks turned away from them. "Fikrul is trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth and death. Fikrul can never truly die."

Carla's scowl deepened. "This timeline still has its Fikrul? Wonderful. Two Fikruls."

Rowan sighed. "Variks, right? Do you have reason to be here?"

"The Eliksni whisper. Whispers of a woman with the blood of the world's life. The one that spares all Eliksni, ushers them to leave the fight and return to families. They call her the White Messiah."

"White..." Kamui murmured, then spoke clearly, "Are you talking about Princess Allura? It would make sense, since she hangs out with a Fallen guy a lot..."

Carla huffed. "There's your answer. Allura. Now, we have had a long day and I would like if we can go, yet."

Variks silently stared, but raised a card to her. It was mostly black on one side, with two stripes and a white ace symbol. Raising an eyebrow, she took it, then stared at the other side, which was white with black text. After a few seconds, her eyes widened, and she slowly gave it back.

"Yea...That'll work."

As Variks began heading off, he stopped, then turned. "Gold one."

Rowan frowned, then pointed at himself. "Me?"

"I share a secret with you. I too know the true fate of the Kell of Crows."

"Who's the Kell of Crows?" Rowan questioned.

Variks did not answer. He headed off, leaving the three standing alone in the Tangled Shore. Kamui stood there with an expression that could roughly translate to a confused bystander, Rowan was a bit nervous, and Calra was just plain unreadable.

Rowan looked. "What was on the card?"

"Variks worked with Dad before. And Dad got him on the good side of the Tower. That card is proof of Cayde's trust. I think he's looking to join the Alliance."

"But why?" Kamui questioned.

Carla narrowed her eyes. "The White Messiah, obviously." Her voice went into a low, venomous growl. "Now is there something you want to tell me, Rowan?"

"H-Huh? What do you mean?"

"The Kell of Crows is another way of saying the title of Master of Crows. Only one man has ever held that title. The murderer of my father."

Rowan immediately paled. "Oh...Heh...You mean Uldren Sov?"

"What. Happened."

"It's a...story, to be sure..."


	12. Do Francotirador Y El León Rojo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Lance  
> -Andal  
> -Amanda  
> -Cayde-6  
> -A few mentioned
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Lance and Andal talk.

"Come on, Red! Don't be finicky like this! Yes, I know you hate being washed, but I actually need to wash you because you are a giant metal cat that needs care, otherwise you'll just look and smell bad! DO NOT MOVE FROM THE HOSE, RED!"  
  
Amanda merely stared, watching Lance brandish a garden hose at the Lion that dwarfed him easily. Like a cat, the Red Lion would flinch away whenever the water hit them, practically just wasting water at this point and not allowing enough to get on them so soap could be properly applied.  
  
Honestly, the scene was adorable. Here Lance was, screaming at what was virtually his pet cat to hold still while he gave him an impromptu bath. And there was the cat, not wanting to take part in this at all.  
  
"Amanda? Hello?"  
  
Amanda turned to see Carla standing there. "Oh! Carla! Sorry, I just got distracted by Lance over there."  
  
"Yes, it is hard to ignore him. Anyways, I was asking you if you knew where my Uncle was."  
  
"Can't say I've seen 'im. Sorry."  
  
Carla groaned. "Right. Thanks, anyways." She turned and walked out, leaving the hangar.  
  
There was a grunt underneath her table. "Danks, 'Manda."  
  
Amanda crouched down to look at Andal underneath as he crawled out. "Isn't this considered stalking?"  
  
"Well, I was going to talk to Lance," Andal retorted. "But jhe's busy right now wit jhis Lion. So I was going to wait until jhe was done."  
  
"But why hide from your niece?" Amanda questioned.  
  
The sniper merely stretched, huffing. "Because se'll be firing at me 'Oh, he's taken, he's in a relationship.'"  
  
The mechanic frowned. "But...he honestly is."  
  
"I know, I know!" Andal laughed. "But de chica coult detect one of my crushes from a mile away ant put a stop to it before I eben know I'be fallen jheat ober jheels. Se's like de amigo dat slaps sense into you!"  
  
Amanda chuckled. "Right. So if you aren't going to flirt with him, what are you going to do?"  
  
"He may be my crush, but he's also my amigo." Andal frowned. "Jhis relationsip with Allura jhas been...deteriorating. Jhe obiously mobet on ober de past year, ant se suddenly came back, ant...It was jarring for jhim."  
  
"Yea, ah've seen that," Amanda admitted. "The young love he had for Allura is gone now, and he's been struggling really hard to keep it between them. But not only do they have different jobs in the Alliance, they have different interests. Especially Allura."  
  
He knows exactly what Amanda is talking about. Whenever he went out, whether it was a mission or just to get some fresh air, he could see Fallen growing in amounts, but at the same time, attacks on Guardians from them dwindling. The label of a "White Messiah" spread fast among them, and it took no genius to realize they were speaking of the Altean. Behind the Alliance's back, she was sparing every Fallen she fought, and they were returning the favor by enacting an unspoken peace, for now.  
  
Numerous people were against this, including Lance. Allura was seen arguing with many people over the topic of Fallen. Either they didn't listen to her reasoning, or just labeled the thought of peace between the two organizations mere fantasies. The most arguments were with Lance, something that worried many people greatly.  
  
Andal nodded. "Yea. No couple argues like dat ant gets far in deir relationship. I just wantet to talk to jhim, ant see if dings were going alright."  
  
Amanda looked up. "Well, if things go well during your chat, and Lance is still holding on, but their relationship just gets worse..." She leaned on her table, then sighed. "You have my utmost permission to convince him to let go of her."  
  
"Danks, 'Manda."  
  
Andal walked over to the Red Lion. At this point, its left frontal paw was covered in soap, and Lance was sweeping at it with a sponge. The Cuban was dwarfed considerably by his Lion, but he was trying to start somewhere in cleaning.  
  
"Need a jhand, amigo?"  
  
Lance looked as Andal walked up. "Oh. Hey, Andal!" He laughed. "Yea. It takes me a lot of time to clean the Red Lion, and that's only partially!"  
  
Andal chuckled in return. "Can't you just get de Frames to do it?" He gestured to one of the maintenance robots to make a point.  
  
"I guess I could, but Red hates baths," Lance replied. "I would probably have to do it myself, or he would just crush the Frames."  
  
Andal stared up at the Lion's yellow eyes. "So it's a jhe, jhuh?" He smiled, but it quickly dropped. He looked over at Lance cleaning the sponge in a bucket of water. "Listen, Lance. We need to talk. Can we go somewhere pribate?"  
  
Lance looked up at that. "Huh?" He paused, then nodded. "Yea. Okay, we can. Just let me finish cleaning up this part, and we can go inside Red to talk."  
  
It took a few minutes for Lance to scrub clean the leg. Once it shone a bit brighter than the rest of the Lion's body, Lance gestured his hand downwards. On cue, the Red Lion laid down like a cat and opened its mouth to allow access inside.  
  
When the two entered, Andal felt a sudden warmth all over his body. He shivered involuntarily from the sudden temperature change. "Your Lion is really hot on de inside."  
  
"It is kind of the Lion based around fire and all that." Lance peeled off his jacket and tossed it aside. "Makes for a cozy ride whenever I use him."  
  
Andal found himself unbuckling his cloak and pulling off most of his armor to have just his baggy, black shirt underneath and even baggier brown pants. "Seriously, you fly in dis? It's like a sauna."  
  
"You get used to it." Lance sat down in his chair, arms and legs splayed as if we was a king of sorts. "So, you wanted to talk?"  
  
It was probably the heat, but Andal felt a warm feeling when he saw Lance sitting so carelessly in the chair. Quickly shoving it down to the pits of his stomach, he choked out, "About you ant Allura."  
  
Lance's smile faded. He face became more sorrowful, and he could tell where this was going. "About what exactly?"  
  
Andal sighed. "You know, judging by your tone."  
  
"Because a lot of people have been asking." Lance placed his head in his hands. "Listen, I get it. We don't look like a couple, and she knows that I'm in a rough spot. She was dead for a year. I was..." He paused. "In a choice."  
  
"A choice?"  
  
"It felt wrong to move on. Every part of me wanted me to move on, but I wanted to hold on. It would be a disservice to just forget about her."  
  
"But she woult jhave wantet you to move on," Andal gently said. "Find someone else."  
  
"I wanted to, but at the same time, I didn't!" Lance exclaimed partially out of anger. "I barely even knew what I was thinking. My entire family wanted me to move on, and so did the other Paladins..."  
  
"Den why isn't it working now?" Andal questioned. "You stayet loyal."  
  
"Because a year is between us now. I've changed, and I have no idea what she's been doing the past year. It's awkward, and stale, and the connection we had isn't...there anymore."  
  
Andal scowled. "Lance, you soult jhabe known dat it was unhealthy to cling on to a deceaset lober. A lot of people don't dink dis, but a year is a long time. You grow, you gain new interests, ant..." Andal stopped. "You fall in lobe, eben if you don't want to, ant you know bery well de other doesn't return de feelings."  
  
"Sounds like you have experience," Lance dryly remarked, smiling a bit.  
  
Andal froze abruptly, staring at him. His eyes seemed to glaze over, as if he was staring past him and at something else. His hands were suddenly clasped very tightly together as he stared into Lance's crystal blue orbs.  
  
The sniper stood up slowly. "I neet to go. I just wantet to make sure you were okay."  
  
As Andal pulled on his outer armor, Lance frowned. "Andal?"  
  
"Danks for de talk." Andal quickly fled the Lion, and by the time Lance slapped on his jacket and followed, he was out the hangar and off into the Tower, disappearing into the crowd.  
  
Andal's tone up until that moment had been comforting, soft and gentle. But as soon as Lance opened his mouth to poke some friendly fun, his mood dropped considerably. His mind was elsewhere, and it seemed to be a struggle to hold in tears.  
  
Lance couldn't help it. He was filled with the sudden and urgent desire to check on his friend. Quickly leaving and bidding goodbye to his Lion, Lance bolted after Andal a minute after he left.  
  
Finding him became hard. He wasn't on the perch where he played his guitar and sang in Spanish like a beautiful Mexican songbird. He also wasn't at Hunk's established food court, where he would joke around and play with Rowan, Carla, or any other Alliance member. Those were the two places Lance always saw Andal, so when he figured out from others he wasn't ever at either location, he began to worry.  
  
"Lookin' for Andal?"  
  
Lance jumped and spun on his heel, startled out of his thinking. Cayde was leaning back in a chair, using a knife to sharpen a stick idly. The Exo didn't actually stare at the stick, and instead looked directly at the Red Paladin.  
  
He found himself nervous at the fact that Cayde had been watching him. "Uh...Yea. Have you seen him?"  
  
Cayde pointed the knife down the hall. "Take the hall and go down the stairs. You'll be out of the Tower and into the Last City. He went that way."  
  
"Do you know where exactly he was going?"  
  
"Don't have a clue, but that's where he went." Cayde returned to sharpening the stick to busy his hands. At this point, it was a spear, the tip so fine it would puncture human flesh if given the opportunity.  
  
Once Lance descended the stairs, he realized just how big the Last City was. The cities were wide, expansive, and jam packed with people from all around the universe. In mere minutes, he was hopelessly lost in the crowd, even less sure on where Andal was.  
  
Speaking of, the sniper was a hard man to find, especially when it came to such a city that was so vibrant at this time of night. However, Lance was able to come across a stroke of luck, though looking back, he occasionally wondered whether it was good or bad.  
  
Andal was in one of the numerous alleyways. Hood down, he sat against the wall with one leg propped up against his other. In his hand was a beer bottle, which he was chugging. Lance could count two empty bottles by him, and practically a whole crate of full ones on the other side of him.  
  
Despite his mind telling him to not, Lance walked up. "Andal?"  
  
Slightly tipsy, Andal gave finger guns and a sloppy grin. "Ey, Lance. Hermano. Mi amor."  
  
Flustered, Lance sat down by him, brushing away beer bottles. "I'm impressed you're on your third bottle already," he joked.  
  
"I don't kid when it comes to drinking," Andal answered. "I know jhow to party. I'm no lightweight." He laughed, then hiccuped, clearly revealing he was actually one. "Jhe was, though."  
  
Lance frowned. "He?"  
  
"Grab a beer. It's a long story." Slowly, Lance did so, fumbling with the cap as Andal took another swig. "Iaoel. Dat's what jhis name was."  
  
Lance looked up. "Iaoel?"  
  
"De first gay chrono angel. Jhart to beliebe. Dose suckers in Sion jhabe polygamy relationships for days, but not once dit dey consider dat dey coult sleep with de same gender."  
  
"You're rambling. What's Shion?"  
  
"It's what de chrono angels call deir jhome, up in de Walkways ant jhidden to de entire uniberse. I'm one of de few dat non-angels can enter it. I dink it means something about memories or some crap among dose lines. Ant I mean, dey weren't jhomophobes. No, not at all! Dey just didn't dink about it." Andal laughed. "Once I rollet in, I made so many people question deir sexualities in such an amazing way. I brought de gay to a whole part of de uniberse. I soult be jhonoret.  
  
"Besides me ant Carla, dere was one guy dat was an actual fighter. Jhis name was Iaoel. Jhe was no wimp, but I bet Carla can still beat jhim, just as se always jhas. We met jhim a few months after mobing into Sion, ant I learnet really quick dat jhe uset to be Parisia's jhusbant. Jhe broke up with jher after se placet deir newborn into a timeline to protect jher from de darkness jhe supposedly was luring to deir jhome."  
  
Lance lowered his bottle, which was now half-empty. "Iaoel is Carla's biological dad?"  
  
"Yea, but Parisia forbit jhim frrom telling jher. It didn't stop jhim from growing so attachet to Talli. In turn, jhe ant I grew to be friends, ant den something more." Andal finished the third bottle, and began to open a fourth. "I figuret out I lobet jhim, de same time I was drinking. Special beer, supposedly filteret drough Chronite to gibe it dat special, pure taste. Foreteller's Light Beer.  
  
"I jhat de bottle to my lips when I saw Iaoel under blue lights ant laughing jhis drunk ass off. Jhis sirt was gone, ant jhe was falling out jhis chair while pissing jhimself ober some stupit joke. Jhis smile, jhis laugh...eberything just seemet to click in dat moment. Ant dere I went, eben more jhammeret dan jhe was, going up to jhim ant loudly proclaiming, 'I dink I lobe you!' In jhis face. Ant dis jhulking 6'5" beast doesn't say anything, just picks me up right off my feet ant kisses me so jhart ant sloppily, I start bleeding from de lip." Andal sighed with a content smile. "I woke up in de same bet as jhim de next day. Dat was nineteen years ago, ant Foreteller's Light Beer is still my faborite beer.  
  
"For de next fourteen years, dat guy is eberywhere ant eberything to me. When Parisia jhas Carla, I jhabe Iaoel. It was a routine. Parisia was pisset dat I jhooket up with jher ex once I tolt jher. But se couldn't do crap about it. Se couldn't control me like se controllet Carla." Andal scowled. "Ant speaking of, I didn't like dat."  
  
"Her controlling Carla?" Lance repeated, having been downing his bottle the whole time.  
  
Andal finished his large gulp. "Yea. Iaoel ant I talket about it a lot. Custody of Carla was a really jhot topic with de chrono angels. Parisia was steadfast on beliebing both of us were bat influences on Carla, eben dough se was de one dat drew jher own daughter into a timeline with no confirmet chance of surbibal. We were different from de other angels in Sion, ant se was just like dem. A tragic mother curset with de oddities of de entire race. De custody battle lastet a week, at best." Andal suddenly smashed his bottle against the wall. He watched the shards rain down before adding quietly, "Iaoel was bannet from seeing Carla.  
  
"I still remember jhis face when jhe learnet dat. Jhe was so jheartbroken. Jhe brought de most powerful chrono angel in existence to life, den lost jher for fibe years, den got jher back only to lose jher again because of de bitch jhe marriet. I jhatet Parisia. Ant I began to loathe jher when I saw jhis face.  
  
"I disobeyet de rules. I took Carla to see Iaoel. Again ant again. Se jhat no idea jhe was jher true father, but se liket jhim. Dat was what matteret. To see dem both smiling ant jhappy. I coult libe on dat for ages.  
  
"Six years ago, Iaoel proposet marriage to me. Jhe took me out to de beautiful fields of Sion to stargaze ant eberything. I sait yes. Ant dis was goot. If we marriet, as I was one of Carla's legal guardians, Iaoel woult become one, too. Jhe coult possibly regain custody. I asket jhim if dat's why jhe was marrying me. Jhe began to cry, ant sait jhe jhat no idea dat coult jhappen. Jhe was marrying me to be with me."  
  
All of a sudden, Andal drank a whole bottle in one go. Tears were going in a downpour, and Lance looked up. A light drizzle in the sky was beginning. Calmly, he sipped his drink, waiting for Andal to collect himself.  
  
The sniper pulled out a pouch, and opened it. A faint blue glow emanated as he pulled out a silver ring with gold ivory engravings and a blue gemstone of Chronite. He held it close, as if it was the most fragile thing in existence.  
  
When he spoke again, his voice was cracking as he sobbed. "We neber marriet."  
  
Lightning crackled, and Lance's eyes widened. There was dried blood on the ring.  
  
"It was...jher adbisor." Andal began to sob openly. "De Queen jhat just come into power in de Umbra Mondo. We didn't know. We were unpreparet. All we knew was dat Carla was in a timeline dat was being consumet by darkness, ant...we panicket. De next ding I remember, Iaoel is telling me to run, de darkness is eberywhere, Carla's unconscious in my arms, I'm scaret, jhe's scaret, ant den dere was bloot, dere was laughter, mocking, I'm crying, I'm telling jhim our dreams ant our promises, I'm begging jhim not to go...ant jhe goes.  
  
"Jhe neber got to see de wedding jhe dreamet of. Jhe neber got to raise jhis own chilt. Ebery bit of jhappiness was taken away. Jhe didn't eben get to tell jhis daughter de truth. Ant before I coult tell Carla, we're separatet for fibe years." Andal hiccuped. "Se still doesn't know. Se just knows Iaoel as a family frient."  
  
"I'm sorry," Lance quietly whispered.  
  
"Your eyes." Andal was completely broken at this point. "Your smile. Dey remint me too much of jhis. You jhurt me too much without meaning to. I want to kiss you, kill myself, ant punch you at de same time! It jhurts so much, but you're my frient, ant I don't want to push you away! I'm in a painful position like you are!"  
  
Andal was pushed over the brink at that point. He dropped the bottle in his hands, and let it roll away. Thunder and lightning added to the heavy rain around them as he began to sob into his hands, body violently shaking from every gasp and heave he took.  
  
"Let's go home." Lance helped up the wasted man. "We'll catch a cold in this weather."  
  
Andal trembled on his legs, as if they threatened to give out. Noticing this, Lance picked him up gently. He then proceeded to sprint the rest of his way back to the Tower, the streets clearing up from everyone fleeing inside to stay warm and dry.  
  
The next morning, Andal cracked his eyes open. He was lying on a couch that he recognized as Cayde's, and a blanket was pulled over him. His head was throbbing, and he leaned to puke into a trash can just by the sofa.  
  
He felt a hand pet his head. "Hey, buddy," Cayde said. "You hangin' in there?"  
  
"Wh' happen...?" Andal slurred, half asleep.  
  
"Lance came in with you wasted and sobbin' your heart out. He left, came back with a six-pack of beer from Diamond Two. When I asked him about the beers, he said they were your favorite. Foreteller's Light Beer."  
  
Amdal immediately swore. "Jhow did jhe know dat? What did I say last night?"  
  
"He didn't say much, but warned me that Carla would probably come here cryin' and demandin' a confirmation from you. From what, I didn't get."  
  
"No, I know what jhe's talking about." Andal shook his head. "Wake me up when se gets jhere."  
  
"Alright. Get some rest, Andal." Cayde walked away.  
  
The sniper rolled on his side, frowning. If Lance knew about his favorite beer, he knew why. And he asked for Carla, which means he knew exactly who Iaoel was, and planned to tell her the truth. Did he just spill his entire burdens onto the man that reminded him so much of what could have been?  
  
Immediately, Andal almost had a heart attack. A worrying thought struck him with such clarity. He felt every pocket on his form, and was still panicking by the time Carla came in, clearly stressed and tears going down her face.  
  
The pouch and Iaoel's engagement ring were gone.


	13. Mend My Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Lucina  
> -Zavala  
> -Takashi Shirogane  
> -Cayde-6  
> -Adam
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> A new face returns to the crowd of the living.

“Time break detected, Commander!” Lucina called over her shoulder, standing by a computer. “Twenty five miles northeast. Object detected falling from it at a rapid rate, and identified as a one-person ship suffering severe damage.”  
  
“Make sure a medical team and one of our two resident chrono angels investigate,” Zavala replied. “We'll need to close that break.”  
  
“Yes, Commander!” Lucina hurried out, grabbing a clipboard and a pen.  
  
The time breaks were such a hassle. The timeline becoming immune to being consumed by the Lux Mondo and Umbra Mondo has the drawbacks of these leaks of time spilling into their environment. Andal and Carla had to run out occasionally to keep these things in check, and even though they were rare, they were a pain to close.  
  
This was the third time break this week, Zavala thought. And it's only a Thursday.  
  
Shiro picked up the commander's hand motions, and shook a bottle to get his attention. “I got painkillers,” he said.  
  
“I don't have a headache, I'm just tired. These time breaks have been running us thin.”  
  
His assistant sighed. “We all are tired. There's been no true attacks since the Burning of Ylisse, and we're just holding our breaths and trying to prepare ourselves for whatever is coming.”  
  
Zavala leaned against the table, and let himself look past Shiro. There Cayde was, writing fast on a piece of paper. He looked to see Zavala staring at him out of the corner of his eyes. Immediately, he made a 180 in his chair and held up the paper, which now had big, bold letters on it.  
  
Zavala squinted slightly to read the words out loud. “I'm going to get some fresh air.” Cayde lowered that paper to show a second one. “Do you want to join me, Takashi?”  
  
As the Exo gave thumbs up, Shiro smiled. “Yea. I think I can do a few minutes myself.”  
  
The balcony on the Tower has become increasingly wild. The Guardians have made lifelong friends out of the Lorians, who were as wild and death defying as them, if not more. Perhaps that is why Artix got along so well with who he now basically regards as his students and prides and joys.  
  
As Shiro watched, a ring of Guardians and Lorians were enjoying their favorite game, labeled “Duck Duck Suicide”. One of them would go around the ring, like a normal duck duck goose game. However, once he tagged the goose, they bolted right for the fence surrounding the balcony and leapt off to their death. Moments later, they would be running back, no worse for wear, and the person who jumped off first would sit in the circle, the one having fallen behind now going around the ring.  
  
“Lorians and Guardians are cut from the same cloth,” Shiro remarked. “It's like they're one, crazy family.”  
  
Zavala looked up at the Traveler. “I wouldn't be surprised if some Ghosts have found their Guardians within Lorians. They would fit right in.”  
  
“How many Guardians have abandoned their duties to go visit Lore?” Shiro joked.  
  
“Too many to count.” Zavala returned the smile. “They obviously love it there a lot. It's their home away from home.”  
  
Both of them fell into silence. Leaning on the railing, they either stared up at the Traveler hanging over the City or at ships small and large coming and going. From the City, noises of shouting, laughter, and talking reached Zavala's ears. It was at a volume that had never been reached before.  
  
“Funny.” Shiro smiled. “The Last City is comparably more dangerous than most other cities and towns in the Alliance. And yet so many people flock to it and love it here. It's starting to compete with the Cocoon for the most diverse city.”  
  
“Do not recite that to Eirika. Her husband will take it as a challenge.” Zavala looked over at his partner. “Takashi, I wish to talk to you for a moment.”  
  
“Yea?” Shiro looked over.  
  
Zavala sighed, steeling himself before beginning to speak again. “Before the Alliance formed, I had allies. But I didn't...have friends. The Vanguard were my allies. Ikora, Lucy-1, Cayde-6, and a long time ago, Andal. But all of them were not what I would call my friends. Ikora was closer to Cayde and Lucy than I could ever dream to be.”  
  
Shiro chuckled. “Are you saying I was your first friend?”  
  
“Not my first friend. Just the first one I've made in a long time.” Zavala flushed purple, a common coloring for embarrassed Awoken. “Which is why...I think I may...”  
  
Shiro stared at him, but had a funny feeling where this was going. “Commander?”  
  
“Takashi Shirogane.” Zavala turned to look at his partner. “I...”  
  
The moment was unceremoniously crashed once Hunk was high-tailing it over. “Shiro! Shiro!” He yelled at the top of his lungs.  
  
While Shiro didn't forget about Zavala, he still shifted the focus to his teammate as he ran up. “Hunk. Is everything alright?”  
  
“The ship...” Hunk gasped for breath, clearly winded. “The ship that came through the time break. It was...a Galaxy Garrison ship!”  
  
Shiro froze at that. “What? A Garrison ship?”  
  
“That's not all! The pilot...He's in critical condition, but...It's Adam!”  
  
Shirio completely froze entirely at that. Zavala had never heard that name before, but a strange sinking feeling began to form in his stomach. He had a bad feeling about this.  
  
“Adam...” Shiro looked at Zavala, as if considering something. However, he shook it off, then looked back at Hunk. “I need to see him.”  
  
“He’s in the medical wing. Let’s go!” Hunk ran off faster than he came, and Shiro hurried after, leaving Zavala in the dust and stumbling over his words.  
  
Inside the medical wing were the rest of the paladins of Voltron. They all were talking to each other with worried expressions, keeping their voices at a minimum, but still being the loudest in the area.  
  
All heads turned once Shiro and Hunk ran in. “I heard,” the captain of Atlas merely said. “Where is he?”  
  
The small crowd looked at each other, then parted like he was Moses. Shiro stared at the bed they were congregating at, then gasped.  
  
The right side of Adam’s face was entirely bandaged, and Shiro could see blackened skin at the edges of the loose gauze, so he had to have suffered from serious burns. The gauze continued down to cover almost all of the right side of Adam, with his right arm barely visible through the wrappings. Glasses with obvious cracks in them were folded neatly and placed on the stand by his bed, right next to the IV drip inserted in his left arm. An oxygen mask was placed over his mouth, and thankfully, his breathing was steady.  
  
Libra was standing by the bed, a cleric staff in hand. “His burns are very serious, and should definitely scar. The entire staff has concluded that if I was not here to heal him, he would be very much dead.”  
  
“When will he wake up?” Keith asked.  
  
“Well, his condition is stabilized, and the worst of his injuries have been healed. He could wake up any minute now, logically.”  
  
Shiro found himself sitting by the bed, looking at the crippled form. “What...do I say?”  
  
Libra looked up. “Hm?”  
  
“Last time I saw Adam in person, my hair wasn’t turned white from being placed in a clone’s body, and my arm wasn’t a floating piece of metal.” Shiro looked downwards, as if ashamed. “Adam and I were a couple. I went on an assignment called the Kerberos mission, causing me to be captured by the Galra. It didn’t sit well with him, and he didn’t want me to go.”  
  
“You are a capable man,” Libra reasoned. “Why didn’t he?”  
  
“Because Shiro had a disease,” Keith answered simply. “His health was failing, and he wanted to go on the mission before he died. Adam worried for his health, and didn’t think he could do it.”  
  
Shiro gently placed a hand on Adam’s. “We broke up just before it...and that was...the last time I ever saw him. Can you imagine it, being trapped for years, experimented on, and the last thing you did with your boyfriend was...break up?”  
  
Libra frowned. “I can’t even stomach the thought. Virion and I have become inseparable. He is one of the only lights in my life. I don’t think we have ever even fought before.”  
  
Shiro smiled and said with a bit of a jealous tone, “You’re one of the lucky ones...”  
  
Shiro suddenly jumped and gasped, as if he was electrocuted. Everyone looked, and noticed him placing both hands on Adam’s. They noticed the exact same movement that Shiro felt, the fingers twitching and curling up.  
  
Slowly, Adam’s visible eye opened. It looked around, then his entire head turned. Without his glasses, he could barely even see the blurry figure with a shock of white hair and a floating arm in place of his right one.  
  
Shiro smiled. “Adam.”  
  
The voice made him recognise who the person was. Adam’s eye widened, and his lips started to bleed when they moved. “Takashi?” He croaked in a hoarse voice.  
  
Shiro’s own voice wavered, and tears spilled down his face. “Adam...” He lifted Adam’s arm to hold his hand close to his face. “Adam,” he repeated, as if trying to register the existence of the man by him.  
  
“Takashi...” Adam’s hand opened, and Shiro helped him guide it to cup his cheek. “I thought...”  
  
“When we came back to Earth, I heard that you died. Your ship was destroyed by the Galra.”  
  
Allura leaned in slightly. “We’ll leave you two alone for now.”  
  
One by one, the other Paladins left. Keith lingered by the door, looking back, but continued on. The medical bay was vacated, save for the occasional Frame going by.  
  
Adam frowned. “How...long was I out?”  
  
“You crashed just this morning,” Shiro answered.  
  
“Then...You returned so quickly?”  
  
Shiro grimaced. “Adam, you travelled through time, from another reality. It’s been four years here since the ship fleet you were on was destroyed by the Galra and declared dead.” He lowered his gaze. “You came through a special type of wormhole that crosses realities, and landed just outside where we are now.”  
  
Adam continued staring at Shiro. He seemed to stop breathing for a second, and his grip loosened a bit. He blinked twice, comprehending what he had just been told.  
  
“I’m dead here,” Adam said. “This...reality...doesn’t have me, because...this reality’s Adam is dead.”  
  
“Exactly. You died before we returned to Earth. You died before...You and I could even attempt to make amends.”  
  
“...This is what I was afraid of.” Adam’s hand reached up higher to place itself in Shiro’s hair. “You...have changed.”  
  
Shiro looked over at his mechanical arm. “Some parts for the better, others not,” he quietly agreed.  
  
“Takashi, I...I missed you. I never wanted you to leave.” Adam began to idly stroke Shiro’s bang.  
  
“I missed you, too. Sometimes, I wish I chose you over the Kerberos mission.”  
  
Adam squinted. “It’s hard to see you without my glasses...”  
  
“They’re broken, but I’ll get you new ones,” Shiro replied.  
  
“Takashi...” Adam smiled. “I really, really hope this isn’t some delusion my mind’s making up.”  
  
“It isn’t. I’m here. I promise.”  
  
At that, both began to cry at the exact same time. Smiling through a torrent of tears, Shiro leaned forward to kiss him. Adam returned the same sweet joy of reuniting, looping his arm around Shiro’s neck to keep him close.  
  
“Don’t be a dumbass again, okay?” Adam smiled.  
  
“I’ve taken a more diplomatic role than simply crusading out over the past few years,” Shiro answered.  
  
“Tell me what’s happened here. I want to know what exactly I’ve missed.”  
  
Shiro laughed. “There is a lot to talk about. Where do I begin?”  
  
About twenty minutes into talking, Shiro noticed Adam had passed out. He initially panicked, believing worse had befallen him, but Libra quickly reassured him that he was still alive, just in need of rest.  
  
Calmed down, Shiro took Adam’s hand in his own. “I’ll wait for him. Like he waited for me.”  
  
Hours trickled by, and Shiro was aware he was being watched. He looked behind him to see Zavala watching him from the doorway, looking confused at the unconscious man by him.  
  
Before Zavala moved to talk to him, Pidge stopped him. She said something to him that made him freeze up entirely. She looked sympathetic about something, but Shiro couldn’t hear what they were saying.  
  
Even when Pidge left, Zavala looked back at him, and they met eyes. Shiro gasped slightly once he noticed something he never has seen before. Before he could confirm that he has seen what he seen, Zavala quickly hurried away out of sight.  
  
Was the Commander crying?


	14. Grimly Reliable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters in chapter:
> 
> -Uldren  
> -Pulled Pork  
> -Rowan  
> -Fox  
> -The Shadow Queen  
> -Andal Brask
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Mistakes are made and can never be fixed.

In the Cosmodrome, it has become quiet. Fallen no longer roamed in the remains of humanity, leaving many to be able to gaze and marvel at the sky hovering above the Earth.  
  
Uldren was sitting on a rusting car hood, legs crossed. His Blade hood and mask were gone to let his hair fly free in the small wind kicking up under the midnight heavens. Pulled Pork orbited around him, turned up to look at the stars, too.  
  
A golden glow shot through the sky, almost like a shooting star. It looped around a few times, then plummeted down to the ground, only stopping last second to make a clumsy landing without harm.  
  
Rowan, instead of landing on his feet, fell back onto his ass. His Luxonia wings folded up, each metal plating sliding neatly above the other, and vanished in a golden flash.  
  
Uldren smiled at the boy. “You should be lucky you didn’t crash into anything.”  
  
Rowan got up. “I was trying out my wings and giving myself a little flight lesson when I noticed you. You almost blend into the environment, but I could feel your Ghost’s Light, and knew it was you.”  
  
Pulled Pork zoomed by Rowan. “You can recognize me by my Light?”  
  
“Yea. Each Ghost has a different feeling of Light to me. It’s gotten to the point that I can differentiate every Ghost in a room of Guardians.” Rowan laughed. “I can tell Ghosts apart with my eyes closed.”  
  
Rowan's powers of light have been accelerating to a nigh-impossible limit over the past few days alone. He can recognize the difference of the Light of the Traveler and the Lux Mondo’s light. He has confirmed that the Traveler’s Light is definitely weaker than the Lux Mondo. Gabriel added that it’s a theory that the Traveler and its opponent of darkness were created by rogue Umbrati and Luxonia, but it had never been confirmed.  
  
Rowan sat down next to Uldren, the glow fading entirely from him. “I’m not as powerful as Gabriel, and I don’t know any attack magic besides my wings, but I’m expected to probably be the most powerful Luxonia in existence.” He grinned at Uldren, and pointed a finger at his noggin. “Remember that when I become the savior of the universe.”  
  
“You’re too immature,” Uldren retorted.  
  
“Hey!” Rowan frowned as his friend gave a laugh at his reaction.  
  
“See? You just proved my point.”  
  
The younger one growled. “Listen, while I’m here, I want to know if you’ve seen a velvet maroon pouch anywhere.”  
  
Uldren frowned. “What size?”  
  
“Fits in your hand, easy. It you laid it flat, about the size of your palm.”  
  
“Sounds small, and easy to lose.”  
  
“Yea. Andal drank too much, lost it, and started freaking out. Lance, who was with him, said that he had it when he got him back to the Tower, and he stayed with Cayde for the night. But Cayde said he didn’t see anyone take anything from him while he was sleeping.”  
  
“Perhaps he dropped it without Lance seeing.”  
  
“That’s the general agreement, yea. There was no other time for it to be lost.”  
  
“Maybe not lost, but what about stolen?”  
  
Both jumped off the car hood and looked over their shoulder. A woman was there, in a dress seemed to be made entirely out of the void. Her red eyes observed the two, and she stood in a perfectly proper position.  
  
“Who are you?” Uldren demanded.  
  
“You’ve heard my name, but you have yet to seen my face. Understandable. I don’t leave my kingdom often.”  
  
Rowan gasped. “You...You’re the Shadow Queen Carla talked about. The one Fox works for!”  
  
“You are observant. Indeed, I am the queen of the Umbra Mondo. A pleasure to see you again, Rowan.”  
  
“Again?” Rowan frowned. “I’ve never seen you in my life.”  
  
“Really? I missed you, but you didn’t miss me. What am I now, your shadow?”  
  
“Stop talking in this cryptic stuff!” Rowan snapped. “What do you want?”  
  
The Shadow Queen inspected her armored hands. “Just to clear up a misconception. You all believe that the prophecy dictated by the universe has been fulfilled, correct?”  
  
Rowan nodded. “It is. Darios is dead. The Shadow Incarnate has already been killed!”  
  
“Oh, really? Then why am I standing right here before you?”  
  
Uldren gasped slightly. “Are you calling yourself the Shadow Incarnate?”  
  
“That I am. What, are you scared?”  
  
Rowan placed a hand in front of his friend. “No, because I know you’re a liar! There’s no way you’re the Shadow Incarnate!”  
  
“Think of it as a promotion. If you kill the Shadow or Light Incarnate or share their blood, you become the next Incarnate. It will repeat until the fated battle is carried out, one that decided whether this universe perishes or thrives.”  
  
“You...killed Darios.”  
  
“You can say that, yes.”  
  
Rowan froze. “Darios...survived. I didn’t know, and...you killed him behind my back.” He narrowed his eyes. “You attacked Aytolis and Gristonne with your lackey, and finished the job!”  
  
“Do not refer to me as her lackey, Subject 153.” Fox emerged from darkness right next to the Shadow Queen.  
  
Rowan drew his whipblade, causing Uldren to reveal his Blade of Marmora knife. “Fox!”  
  
Fox looked over at Uldren. “You have become a Blade. Amusing that you were able to craft one of its knives without the required metals.”  
  
“It’s made from the same metals, I assure you.” The knife shifted into its blade form, proving Uldren’s point. “Turns out Luxite is one of the most common metals in the Lux Mondo. We had our Luxonia friends deliver some to us. The queen of the Lux Mondo may not like us, but she is a generous one.”  
  
Fox hummed. “I thought she was a selfish one.”  
  
“Queen Isyn isn’t,” Rowan answered. “Just thinks it’s odd to protect one timeline out of infinite ones. I don’t exactly blame her.”  
  
Fox paused. “Queen Minoa is dead?” He frowned. “Hm. I didn’t expect that, but I guess it’s natural. She’s ruled ever since the birth of the prophecy. Luxonia can die from old age too, though it doesn’t show. They don’t get wrinkles and gray hair.”  
  
Rowan scoffed. “Why do you know so much about them?”  
  
“To kill your enemy, you must know your enemy. But we are not here to talk about our knowledge. We are here to fulfill the prophecy.”  
  
Rowan raised his blade. “So you want to fight me?”  
  
The Shadow Queen unsheathed a blade of her own, the hilt a blood red and the blade itself glowing purple. “I do. It is our destiny.”  
  
“Okay. Fine!”  
  
Rowan raced at the Shadow Queen, sword ready. She only leapt back, slashing at the sky before her. A wave of darkness stemmed from her blade and shot at her opponent, who thankfully dodged in time.  
  
“So, you’re going to avoid frontal confrontation?” Rowan guessed with a smirk.  
  
“If you want to survive, I suggest you use your light magic.”  
  
Immediately, Uldren called out, “Rowan! She had years of training, and you have only begun to discover your powers! We can’t-!”  
  
Fox raised his arm, and Rowan looked in time to see Uldren grabbed by tendrils of shadow. They quickly forced him to his knees, pinning his arms behind his back and one forcing itself between his teeth.  
  
“Nngf! Mmmmmngh!”  
  
Rowan lowered his guard. “Uldren!”  
  
Fox chuckled. “I’m sure you won’t leave now that we have your friend, right? You are a loyal and faithful companion, and betrayal should be the last thing on your mind.”  
  
Rowan looked forward in time to feel a force collide with his chest. He was sent about fifty feet back, slamming right through the remains of numerous cars and destroying them in the process. The Shadow Queen stood there, her fist radiating black smoke, as she watched her opponent smash into the ground a large distance away.  
  
Rowan slowly pressed himself up, using his whipblade as a leverage. “You...” He felt himself hit again, and he choked on synthetic blood, once more flying across the area.  
  
Fox watched the Shadow Queen absolutely pummel Rowan, not allowing him a chance to get up or even speak. Blasts of darkness came from either her hands or were swung at Rowan by her blade. Dust was kicked up, and rusting metal folded in from every hit.  
  
When Rowan could finally breathe, he was lying in a broken heap. Both synthetic blood and coolant poured out of him, and warnings took up most of his vision. His jacket and jeans did nothing against the onslaught, and were torn and burnt.  
  
The Shadow Queen walked up to the gasping mess, heels digging into the soft ground. Once she stopped at Rowan’s head, she raised her sword to point it at his neck.  
  
“I wish it never was like this, Rowan.” Her voice was quiet and trembling.  
  
Rowan directed his eyes to her. “H...Huh?”  
  
“LOOK OUT!” Fox suddenly screamed, in a tone of worry he never showed.  
  
The Shadow Queen looked behind her. Two armored boots slammed right into her chest from a dropkick, and she went rocketing from the force.  
  
Rowan lifted his head as the assailant landed on their feet. “Andal...?”  
  
“I saw de ruckus you ant your new friends were making.” Andal straightened. In his head was a clean saber with a white hilt, blue runes engraved into the blade. “I decidet to join de party.”  
  
Uldren struggled. “Mmmmmmf!”  
  
Andal looked. “Prince Uldren Sov? Last I jheart, you were dead.”  
  
“Save that...for later...I’ll explain...I swear.”  
  
Andal knelt down. “Great Viajero, dey dit a number on you.”  
  
Fox drew his own violet axe. “Your Highness, this is not the time for the prophesied fight. I can see that, now.”  
  
The Shadow Queen stood up, too. “So can I.”  
  
“Return to the Umbra Mondo. I will take care of our new opponent.”  
  
The Queen looked over at Rowan, struggling to sit up in his own blood. She reached a hand out slightly, but stopped herself. She stepped back, then vanished into darkness, the shadows swathing her form and taking her with them when they broke off into thin air.  
  
Uldren stood up, the tendrils having held him now slipping away. “Sir?”  
  
Fox snapped at him, “I wish to deal with him personally. Take your foolish Light Incarnate and leave us gentlemen be.”  
  
Uldren reached for his blade, ready to draw it. Andal’s head whipped at him, and glared so fiercely, a pit formed in Uldren’s stomach. The prince released the grip on his blade slowly, then rushed over to Rowan, grabbing him and beginning to pull the unresponsive boy away.  
  
Andal raised his blade as the other two fled from sight. “Den it is you ant me now, gilipollas.”  
  
Fox frowned. “Just because you use your native tongue doesn’t mean I won’t understand it. He aprendido todos los idiomas del universo.” He squinted, as if considering something. “Odd. You look exactly like the man who cried over the chrono angel I killed.” Fox grinned as Andal paled. “He looked just like the angel that’s become a thorn in my side. Same shade of brown hair, and just a fraction of paler skin. What were his last words to his apparent lover?”  
  
“Your eyes are bery pretty,” Andal monotoned. “I don’t like dem when dey’re wet with tears. So don’t cry. Let my last impression of you be your smile.”  
  
Fox gave a mock gasp of surprise. “Ah! So you are the same man! I must apologize. My memory isn’t the best.”  
  
“Where is it?” Andal raised the saber. “I know you have it!”  
  
Fox still smiled. “You have to be a little bit more specific.”  
  
“WHERE IS DE POUCH?!” Andal shrieked, tears going down his face.  
  
“Oh. A small velvet pouch that holds a ring of Chronite in it? I found it, and decided to take it back with me.” At that, Fox began to idly toss his hand up and down. Out of the darkness, dropped a familiar pouch, which Fox now had in his hand.  
  
“You bastard...” Andal’s sword hand tightened around the hilt.  
  
Fox caught the pouch from the air, looking at Andal. “Really, now. I would suggest you leave me. I have no business here, and I want to make sure the queen is okay.”  
  
“I bet you care nothing about jher.” Fox himself paused at that. “Se’s only useful to you because se’s de ruler of de Umbra Mondo.”  
  
Fox seemed to grow agitated. “It is because of me that she is queen to begin with.”  
  
“Se is nothing to you. Only your pawn! Because a jheartless monster like you wouldn’t eber care for anyone!”  
  
Andal sucked in his breath, making a choking noise. From behind, a spear of shadow had stabbed right through his abdomen. Blood was dribbling out of his mouth, adding to his tearstained face.  
  
Fox threw his hands back and forth, face contorted into one of pure rage. More spears shot out of the darkness of the area, nailing Andal in the arms, legs, and stomach. Blood was flying from the body as he was thrown back and forth like a ragdoll from the force of each spear.  
  
Finally, Andal stood there on trembling feet. An assault of spears have made him a pincushion, blood dripping from every stab. His breathing grew rasp, hood knocked off to let his ponytail drop out.  
  
Fox stepped forward once, and Andal’s eyes snapped open.  
  
His arm unfolded from being held close, and radiated blue. The sniper gave one final cry of defiance, one of anguish and sorrow, as a sphere of pure chrono magic built up in his hand.  
  
“IAOEL!” Andal screamed at the top of his lungs, as if to summon his deceased lover.  
  
The entire area erupted in a blue explosion. It encased a good thirty square feet, and sent a huge shockwave. The resulting wind sent cars flying, and the clap of sound rocketed across the area, echoing in abandoned buildings.  
  
Uldren looked up from ducking and holding Rowan close to shield him. A thick plume of smoke rose from the distance, where he had been a few minutes ago. No sign of life besides him and Rowan lingered.  
  
Uldren looked up, and his Ghost formed. “Pulled Pork, tell Keith to get out here immediately.”  
  
Pulled Pork looked behind him. “And...?”  
  
“There’s no way he survived that.” Uldren looked away. “Whoever just saved us...is dead, and took Fox with him, hopefully.”  
  
A long distance away, Fox lowered his arms, heavily breathing. A bubble of darkness had formed around him, undoubtedly saving his life. The earth around him was scorched black as he looked down, then up before him.  
  
Andal’s body laid limp like a doll. Numerous spears of shadow stuck out from him, blood pooling around his form. His eyes were wide open, bloodshot and staring up at the stars.  
  
The man still alive walked forward, a scrape not present on his body. A stark contrast to the brutal death of his opponent. He knelt down, staring into Andal’s lifeless eyes.  
  
“If you think I’m going to let you die so easily, you are sorely mistaken.” Fox reached a hand out.  
  
Andal’s chest bloomed darkness, unfolding like a flower. Black wisps raised from it, spiraling uptown the sky. Fox extended his hand above it, watching it with clear focus and waiting for something to happen.  
  
Out from it levitated a small orb. It was the same color as Chronite, and glowed the same way, too. It could easily be held between two fingers. It pulsed every once and a while, and blue flames arched up from it, licking the air.   
  
Fox grasped it between his fingers as he smiled. “You are the only person that is part chrono angel. I don’t intend to let you die. Not without studying and observing you.” Fox inspected the blue, flaming orb. “This is your soul. It was about to move on to whatever afterlife is out there, but your use to me isn’t over. Neither is your body. Usually, I destroy the body and keep the soul. But not this time.”


End file.
